Carry On
by ImpalaChick1967
Summary: *AU SEASONS 1-3* Basically the same old Supernatural, except for one twist- there's a third member of the ass-kicking team: Bridgette 'Bri' Hart. A monster ass-whooping hunter. She met the boys when they were teens and a friendship ensued. Follow them through seasons one through three as they map out the whole 'team' situation, all while kicking ass, and saving lives.
1. Prologue I: Bridgette 'Bri' Hart

1996 17 YEAR OLD DEANS POV*****

As I sat in the leather, passenger seat of my dad's jet black 1967 Chevy Impala, I stared out the window and watched the latest run-down, shit motel fade into the distance. I sighed and turned my head around to look into the back seat. I saw my little brother, Sammy— er excuse me, he likes to be called Sam now. Apparently thirteen, which is four years younger than me, is too old to be called that, even though me and dad have called him it for, like, well forever. Anyways, he was sitting with his head against the window, his eyes closed and mouth hanging open, dead asleep. When I saw the drool seeping out of his mouth I tried to stifle a chuckle, but failed miserably.

"What're you laughing at?" He barked at me like a drill sergeant.

"Nothing, sir." I mumbled back, knowing to keep my trap shut.

"Good, cause this is no laughing matter, son." Dad continued, in a less harsh but still tough as nails voice. "You almost got, not only yourself, but also Sammy killed, Dean. You have to be more careful." Dad shook is head in that disappointed way that seems to be all I see lately.

"Is that why you're dumpin' us off at Bobby's house?" I asked, trying to keep the bitter undertone in my voice

hidden.

With a heavy sigh dad answered. "Dean, I ain't dumping you boys anywhere. I think it would just be safer to finish this hunt without having to worry about whether or not you guys are safe back at the motel or not."

"Well, how long have we gotta stay?" I asked, dreading the answer. Cause just a couple of months ago me and Sammy were stuck at some shitty school where all I managed to do was get dumped by a pretty girl. And for Sammy get picked on by some douchebag. But on the bright side he eventually got to beat up the kid.

"A month or two..." My dad explained slowly. And then after thinking for a second added, "Three max."

"Three months?!" I exploded, surprised. I heard Sammy shoot up from his former position in the back seat.

"What's going on?..." He mumbled groggily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He quickly wiped the, now dried, drool from the corner of his mouth.

"Dad's dumping us off at Bobby's place..." I paused to glare at my dad. "For three months."

"What?" Sammy whined. It's not like I blame him though. If I didn't have a 'cool big bro' reputation to uphold I'd have been whining right alongside him.

"Stop whining Sammy, it's for yours and Dean's own good." Dad said in his fatherly tone that rarely comes out. And when it does it's usually for Sammy, not me.

"But daaad—"

"Sammy!" My dad barked.

Oh great they're fighting again... Time to break out the Walkman. I leaned forward and grabbed my Walkman and headphones off the dash. I plugged in the headphones, slipped them on and hit play. The sweet, sweet sound of

AC/DC's 'Highway To Hell' drowned out my father and little bro's argument. My eyelids started to grow heavier and heavier until I finally leaned my head against the window and let the sweet sounds of my Walkman pull me deeper into slumber.

OOOOO

"Dean..." I woke up to the feeling of my headphones being yanked off. I heard a clattering noise, which I presumed was the sound of my Walkman hitting the ground.

I opened my eyes and saw Sammy standing in front of me. I looked to the ground and saw my Walkman lying on the ground with my AC/DC cassette on the ground. In pieces. "Sammy!" I groaned as I unbuckled and slid out of the car. I bent down and and picked up my, now scratched, Walkman and smashed AC/DC cassette tape. "Aww Sammy you scratched it all up. And you busted the tape too!"

With a sheepish smile on his face, Sammy shrugged, "Sorry, Dean." And then his eyes narrowed from behind his shaggy, way too long brown bangs. "And it's Sam now. Sammy is like, some chubby twelve year-old."

I shoved the busted cassette tape in my pocket and threw the Walkman back in the car. And then I looked at Sammy— oops, I mean Sam. "You were twelve just last May, quit being such a little bitch."

Sammy's eyes narrowed again and he scowled at me. "Well I certainly wasn't chubby..." And as an after he added "...Jerk"

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

"Bit—" I got cut off by the sound of a gruff voice.

"Why don't both you come and greet me?" Me and Sammy looked up to see Bobby standing on his porch, arms crossed over his chest, with dad next to him. "Ya idjits."

With a smile, Sammy runs and greets Bobby by throwing his arms around him for a quick hug. I, on the other hand, ever the cool dude, strode up to the house and up the steps. I stuck my hand out to Bobby and firmly shook his hand. "How you doing Bobby?"

"I'm okay, kid, I'm okay." Bobby answered me with a small grin.

I release his hand and looked at my dad.

"Alright guys, I'm leaving. I'll be back in a few months. I'll check in once or twice a week." Dad turned around and without a second glance toward me or Sammy he got in the Impala and drove off.

"Well, at least it's summer so you ain't got school..." Bobby said suddenly. Then he turned to me and opened his mouth as if to say something and then closes it again. He opened his mouth again and this time he began to say something, "Kid-" But his voice got droned out by the blasting sounds of Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven'. We all look up to see a 1964 dark blue, Mustang cruising up the dirt road.

"Wh-who's that?" I sputtered, staring at the flawless, mint condition car.

"That's one of my customers, so don't you boys scare her away." Bobby warned us.

Wait... It's a chick? How could a chick A) Have such a sweet ride and B) Be into Led Zeppelin?

"Is she by any chance hot?" I asked on the off chance we could get it on in the the back seat. Cause, damn, that's a nice car.

"Are you stupid boy?" Boy asked me with a dumbfound expression on his face.

"Well I–" I lost the ability to speak for a moment as I watched a leggy brunette, who looks to be around my age, step out of the car. Her hair is medium– down to just past her shoulders–and in soft waves. She's wearing a white belly shirt— what's it called... A crop shirt? Top? Oh I don't care it shows skin and Dean likey! Anyways, she's wearing short, light blue, cut-offs, and dark brown combat boots. "Damn. She is smoking!"

"Shut up ya idjit." Bobby shushed me as the brunette, that I had deemed, 'Legs', walked her way up to us.

"Hey, Bobby!" She called as she hugs him and plants a quick kiss on his cheek. "Ma needs some info on how to kill a new big ba—" She stops in the middle of her word when she notices me and Sammy. "The uh... Big bad wolf, ya know. Umm those umm damn wolfs. Killing our sheep. Uh ha...ha..."

I swear, I almost busted right then and there when she dropped the keys to the Mustang and bent down to pick them up. I got a nice, big, cleavage shot. Well, I guess I'll be taking a nice cold shower tonight. I looked down to see my brother fidgeting around and looking anywhere but at Legs. I guess Sammy'll have to too.

"So, the big bad wolf, eh Legs?" I teased the brunette, trying to get her to blush... With no luck.

"Legs? Yeah.. umm, no. Just– just no." She shook her head and crossed her arms. "My name's Bridgette. Bridgette Hart. And you two are?"

"The name's Logan Todd. And this is my little bro, Ricky." I gave fake names, not knowing if she was trustworthy or not yet. I knew she was when I felt Bobby smack me upside the head and mutter, "Idjit..."

"Bridgette, this is Sammy Winchester. And the bigger, stupider one is his brother, Dean." Bobby walked behind Sammy and put his hands on his shoulders.

Bridgette leaned down a bit so she was level with Sammy, all while unknowingly showing off her– er assets. "Hey Sammy." She threw him a dazzling smile. I could tell Sammy was debating on whether or not to correct her on his name, but I guess his hormones got the best of him and he just smiled bashfully. She ruffled his hair and stood straight. She turned to me and I was immediately mesmerized by her warm, hazel eyes.

"So, Dean, what's up with the fake names?" Bridgette questioned me with her pretty eyes narrowed.

"Well, with my experience, you can't really trust people you don't know..." I explained, trying to pull out my sexy voice... Oh who am I kidding? My everything is sexy without even trying! "But, we could get to know each other real well— ouch!" I yelped, in a completely manly way, when Bobby once again hit me upside the head.

"Yeah funny... Wait, Winchester? As in John Winchester?" Bridgette asked us with beautiful, wide eyes.

"Y-yeah," Sammy stammered, obviously nervous about talking to a hot chick. "He's our f-father."

"So you know about hunting and monsters?" Bridgette asked with wide, hopeful eyes.

"Sure do, we were practically raised on it." I explained to her, my voice quiet. "You too?"

"Yep, my mom and dad taught me everything I know. They're still teaching me, too." Bridgette rocked back and forth on her feet awkwardly. "You may know of my mom... She's Lucinda Hart. Lucinda Rowland, before she got married to my dad."

"Woah. Woah. Woah." I stumbled. I raked over that name in my brain. I know I've heard it before... Wait- "The Lucinda Rowland? Of the Rowland's?" Legs nods. "They're legends! They've taken down more monsters than I can count!"

I can here Sammy mumble, "How high's that... Ten?" I don't think Legs heard him though.

"Uhh yeah..." Bridgette said quietly. She turned to Bobby. "So about that creature I need info on. It's a Wraith..."


	2. Prologue II: New Comrades

16 YEAR OLD BRIDGETTE'S POV

"A Wraith..." Bobby repeated. He then turned to Dean, aka Perv. Damn, is all that boy can do stare? Like, he literally will not stop looking at me. "Dean, show Bridgette to the research books, and help her find info on the Wraith." I'm going to get the weapons you need to kill it." Bobby began to walk towards the house when Dean's voice halted him.

"But wait..." Dean retaliated. "If you know how to kill it, how come I've gotta help her look for information?"

"Cause boy," Bobby huffed, obviously irritated at Dean questioning him. "1) I said so, and I'm in charge. And 2) I'm not sure how to recognize one. Cause I do know that they pass as humans."

"Oh..." Dean mumbled sheepishly. I thought I caught a slight blush creeping up his neck. "Alright then."

"C'mon then, Perv." I said confidently, as I walked toward the house, grabbing him by the sleeve of his dark brown, leather jacket, and dragging him toward the house. "You coming too, Sammy?"

I heard the scuffle of feet as I presumed Sammy was following us. My suspicions were confirmed when I heard him mumble, "Sure, I guess."

OOOOO

With a smile I pulled a book off of one of Bobby's bookshelves and my nostrils filled with the musty scent of the old text.

Next to me I can hear Sammy mumbling, Wraith, Wraith, Wraith as he goes down the rows of books, scanning the spines with his forefinger.

"Ya know Sammy, you're a real cute kid." I said looking at down at him from over the book I was skimming through.

I saw a blush, much like his brother's but a much more deeper red, settle on his cheeks.

"T-t-thanks, B-Bridgette." Sammy stammered, in an, oh so adorable way.

From his helpful position on his ass, on the couch, Dean spoke up. "He doesn't like being called, Sammy anymore. Says it sounds like a, and I quote, 'chubby twelve-year old'. He likes Sam better."

"Shut up, Dean!" Sammy, er or Sam I guess, snapped at his older brother. Then he turned to me and softly and shyly said, "You can still call me Sammy if you want. I don't mind it that much..."

I could tell he was lying. It was now painfully obvious to me that the kid didn't like the nickname Sammy, like at all.

"Aw, that's real sweet, kiddo, but I can think of a better nickname for ya..." I thought for a minute. Then a nickname came to me. "...Little Thing." I smiled at him slyly. A teasing glint in my emerald eyes, I'm sure.

Sammy, or now Little Thing, groans. "That's worse. I'd rather be called Sammy."

"Well, it's too late now. I'm starting to like Little Thing." I looked over to see Dean trying to hold in his chuckles, and failing miserably. "What are you laughing at there, Jon Bon Jovi?" I smirked deviously.

"Hey now, Bon Jovi rocks!" I raise my eyebrows at him in a disbelieving way. "On occasion." He admitted.

"Well, I'm more of a Warrant type girl, I guess. So I wouldn't know." I said with a shrug, and nearly fell on the floor laughing when his jaw dropped and eyes widened in a comical way.

After a few moments he composed himself and began to smirk at me once again. "Well, I guess you're a girl after my own heart. Although, I never pegged you as a classic rock chick."

"I'm full of surprises, Winchester." I said vaguely, looking back down at my book.

I allowed a small smile creep onto my face when I hear him retaliate. "Then I guess that's something we have in common, Hart."

"Hey guys," We heard Sammy mumble. "I got something on the Wraith." Me and Dean both looked at Sammy simultaneously.

When he knew he had our attention he continued talking. "It says here that they, can disguise themselves as humans. The only way to see their true form is in a mirror. The only way to kill 'em is with silver. It— oh gross" Sammy scrunched up his face in disgust. "It makes their skin bubble when it cuts it."

"Great!" I smiled. "Well, I better grab the silver from Bobby and then get this info to my mother. She'll need to go out and kill it with my dad before the party. I began to walk toward the kitchen, which is where I saw Bobby headed. Then I thought of something and halted.

I turned toward Dean. "Hey, there's a party at my place. And you might like to go and meet people... So if you want to come, I live at 45 Miller Ave. Bobby can give you the directions. It starts at 9:00." I walked over to Sammy, bent down a bit and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He got red in the face. Gosh, he's really an adorably shy kid.

"Thanks a lot, Shortstack. You were a big help. No pun intended." I laughed as I ruffled Sammy's hair. I turned to Dean. "I would say 'you too', but all you did was sit on your ass." I said with a playful smile and a slight giggle.

Dean smiles sheepishly. I went up on my tiptoes and also gave him a peck on the cheek. I had my hand resting on his shoulder. I let it linger there while I said, "I really hope you show up, Dean. It'll be fun. I'd invite you too Sammy, but it's gonna be full of teens. You probably wouldn't like it."

I felt bad until I saw Sammy nod in understanding.

With one last smile, I turn and walk to the kitchen. As I left I pick up the sound of the brothers arguing. I swear I heard Dean calling Sammy a bitch, and Sammy calling Dean a jerk. I cant help but smile a bit. God, those boys are something else.

But, I have a feeling that real soon we'll be good friends. At least I hope. They seem really cool.

OOOOO

13 YEAR OLD SAMS POV

Oh my god... Did she just kiss me? I press my hand to the cheek that the pretty girl's lips were just on.

"Oh c'mon Sammy, don't be such a sissy. Bridgette only gave you a kiss on the cheek. It's not like she was shoving her tongue down your throat. She kissed me there too." I looked over at my brother to see him trying to hold in his laughter.

"Shut up Jerk." I snarled at him, feeling the heat of embarrassment flaming on my face.

"In your dreams, Bitch." It looked as if he wanted to add something else too. "Oh wait, they're already too full with Bridgette."

And there it was.

"You're such a jerk, Dean!"

"You're such a bitch, Sammy!" I heard Dean mimic me. And trust me when I say it was not an accurate imitation.

"Jerk"

"Bitch"

"Jerk"

"Bit— you know what? I'm not dealing with this."Dean walked toward the front door and picked up his suitcase that was sitting beside it. "I've got a party to go to, and I need some quick beauty sleep."

I scoffed. "No beauty sleep is going to fix that mess. I almost pity the poor souls that have gotta look at it at that party."

"Haha." I heard Dean mumble at me as he pulled the dark blue suitcase up the stairs. "Stuff it, Bitch."

I chuckled when I heard Dean throw a string of curses when he stumbled over his suitcase as he traveled up the stairs.

OOOOO

17 YR OLD DEANS POV

I walk up to the brick house. Bobby had given me directions earlier in the day. With a sigh, I popped the collar of my dark brown, leather jacket. I'm dressed in my classic leather jacket, and unbuttoned flannel over a t-shirt, paired with jeans, and of course, my amulet. I walked up the pathway toward Bridgette's house and rang the doorbell. After a few moments a blonde, and obviously drunk, chick opens the door. She's wearing a short black skirt, and a tight, low cut, dark blue tank top that reveals a lot of cleavage. Her hair is straight, but disheveled, and her black eyeliner and light pink lipstick are both smudge. That's all probably a result of her being so hammered. So, in other words, my kind of girl.

"Woah." She slurred, while putting her hand on my chest. "You, sir, are very, very hot!"

"Likewise." I flirted, while trying to hold back a chuckle.

"Haley!" I looked up to see Bridgette making her way to the door in a strapless turquoise dress that ends just above her knees and a black leather jacket.

Damn.

Didn't I tell you not to flirt with people and scare them away before they even walk in the door?"

"Ugh!" The blonde chick, Haley, groaned over dramatically at Bridgette. "Killjoy." Haley stomps back into the house and out of view.

I raised one eyebrow at Bridgette in confusion.

"Town slut." She explained. "You'll get some form of STD before you even drop your pants."

"Well," I said, a chuckle escaping my lips. My eyes rake over her slim figure. "How can I ever thank you?"

She pursed her lips, thinking. "I got it!" She grabbed me by the hand and began pulling me into the house. A weird feeling shot up my arm and through my body at her touch. Strange. She pulled me until we reached a table with a stereo and a stack of discs on it. Bridgette sorted through the discs until she found one she liked. She picked it up and waved it around a bit in front of my face. "Winchester, you. Me. Dance floor. Let's do this."

"Ah no, Hart." I said, trying to back up, but failing to because she had a hold on my hand once again. "I do not dance."

But Bridgette kept her grip on me. "Oh c'mon, Pretty Boy. I probably just saved you from getting herpes. I deserve one dance in return. Don't I?" She flashed me a heart-melting smile.

Damn, why'd she have to smile like that? It's almost as bad as Sammy's puppy-dog eyes. If not as bad, maybe worse. "Fine. One dance. But, Hart I swear, if it's to a girly-ass song, I'm out."

Her smile grew bigger, and she popped the disc into the stereo. Queen's 'The Show Must Go On' began to fill the room. And people began dancing. "Not a bad choice, Hart, not bad at all."

"Well, I definitely don't listen to Madonna" She chucked while wrapping her arms around my neck. My arms automatically travelled to her waist.

I don't know how long we danced, but it was the most fun I've ever had with a chick. And trust me... I've had a lot of fun with the female population. Of course, those types of nights usually end up in a bed, or against a wall... Or sometimes on a kitchen table– but I'm getting off track. Hanging out with Bridgette is fun. And I don't feel like I have to drop my pants for her to want to hang around me. Maybe these next few months won't be all bad.

SPNSPNSPNSPN

Around midnight the party died down and everyone left. I walked over to Bridgette.

"Hey I was gonna head out..." Damn, I didn't want to leave. She smelt so nice all night. I was having too much fun. "But you could come if you wanted..."

When I saw the enraged look on Bridgette's face I immediately knew she took it the wrong way. "Okay, Perv, I thought you were actually kinda cool but now—"

I hurriedly cut her off. "No! I meant that we could watch a movie or something!"

Her face softened and she began to blush. "Oh, yeah, just let me go tell my parents and get outta these clothes." She began to walk up the stairs with a gleaming smile. "I smell like sweat and teenage hormones had a baby."

Chuckling, I walked over to where her fireplace in was. On the mantle are photos. In the first one is a couple, who I assume to be her parents. Her dad has pale blonde, short cropped hair, and hazel eyes– like Bridgette, and a full beard that matches his hair. And her mother, the Lucinda Hart, has deep brown, straight hair–like Bridgette– and very pale bluish green eyes. Her father's hands are on Lucinda's obvious baby bump. The next one is of Lucinda on a couch, with a pink bundle in her arms. If you look closer, you can see baby Bridgette's head peeking out, with a tuft of brown hair and sparkling hazel eyes, looking up at her mother in awe. In the next one is Bridgette at the park. She looks to be about five or so. Her mother is pushing her on a swing. Bridgette's heads thrown back in laughter, her brown hair in two pig-tails, and her mother is smiling brightly. So that's where Bridgette gets her smile... In the next one Bridgette's blowing out birthday candles, she looks about ten, with her dad smiling proudly next to her. In the last, and most recent looking one, Bridgette is playfully sticking her tongue out at the camera. I observe the spots on the wall above the wall where there's discoloration which seems like other pictures had been hung there.

I heard footsteps behind me so I turned and I saw Bridgette's parents coming down the stairs and Bridgette trailing them with an apologetic smile on her face. She was now wearing black leggings, an oversized, grey Roosevelt High School (A/N. A real high school in Sioux Falls) sweatshirt, and boots and the makeup was cleaned from her face.

Beautiful.

Once Bridgette's folks reached me her dad spoke. "So, I hear you want my daughter to come to your house..."

"Yessir, but not for the reason you're probably thinking. I plan to do nothing of the sort. And we're not alone. My brother is there." But, Bobby had gone out on a hunt and I wasn't sure that he was home yet.

Her dad looked unfazed by that information. "Son, you have no idea what's out there, and what could harm my daughter."

I put on my 'responsible' face. "All due respect sir, but I think I very well know about what's out there."

His eyes narrowed at me. "Do you now? Care to elaborate?"

I smirked. "Well gosh, there's Wraiths, and Kitsunes, evil spirits and shapeshifters, and we can't forget vampires, an—"

Lucinda cut me off. "Who are you?" She pushed her daughter behind her, protectively.

"Did Bridgette not tell you who I am?" I asked in mock surprise. "Well then let introduce my self." I put my hand out to Bridgette's dad for him to shake. "My name's Dean. Dean Winchester."

The man's jaw dropped. "As in John Winchester?" I nodded. "You're his son?"

"Sure am."

"Oh, well gosh." He gripped my hand and shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, son. My name's Gregory Hart. And this is my wife Lucinda. You can call me Greg."

"And me Luci. We worked with your father a while back in Michigan. He's a great hunter and a good man. I'm sure he raised you and your brother to be the same." Luci added with a grand smile.

"So I can go?" Bridgette asked hopefully, pouting a bit for good measures. "He's staying at Bobby's place."

"Yes.." Greg caved. "You can go. I trust Bobby, Dean, and his brother to keep you out of harms way. How old is your brother anyway? Twenty? Twenty-one?"

I chuckled a bit at the thought of Sammy being that old.

"Sam's thirteen..." At the adults wide eyes I quickly continued. "But don't worry, he's just about the best shot I've ever seen."

"Okay. Go ahead sweetheart." Greg said reluctantly.

"And why don't you just ask Bobby to spend the night." Luci suggested. "I don't like you going out when it's dark. Even if you're a black belt in tae kwon do"

"Sure mom." Bridgette said over her shoulder as she pulled me toward the door. "Love you guys! Bye!"

"No sharing beds!" I heard her father yell frantically. "Dean, I swear, if you so much as think of messin' my baby girl around I'll beat your ass!"

"Yessir!" I call back to Greg.

Bridgette stepped outside pulling me with her, and shut the door. "Where's your car?"

"Oh I, uh, I walked." I told her.

"No problem. We can take my baby..."

She led me over to her classic 1964 Mustang.

"This car is amazing!" I exclaimed as I ran my hand over the hood.

"She's my pride and joy." Bridgette smiled brightly and patted the hood. "Well, hop in. I assume you're staying with Bobby?"

We both climbed into the car and shut our door. "Yeah, our dad's on a hunt."

Bridgette's face took on a confused look as she pulled out of the driveway. "But this is this first time I've seen you here. Where do you usually stay during hunts?"

Damn. There's that ping of guilt I feel every time I think of what happened. "Usually, we go with him and help. But this time I screwed up and let a monster get to Sammy. He almost got hurt, and now Dad doesn't trust me with a hunt. So he dumped us here."

I think Bridgette could hear how much that talking about it bothered me so she took one hand off the steering wheel and comfortingly put it on my knee. "You don't have to talk about it."

"Thanks." I mumble, distracted by the pressure of her small hand. I look up and see that we're pulling into the salvage yard. Bridgette stops the car and we both get out. We headed up the steps and walked into the house. The tv is on so we walked toward the living room.

OOOOOO

16 YR OLD BRIDGETTES POV

Awww!

When we get into the living room we see Sammy passed out on the couch, his mouth wide open and— Oh my gosh! I think he's drooling! That's so cute!

"What movie do you want to watch?" Dean whispered, not wanting to wake the kid up.

"What've you got?" I asked.

"I can tell you what we don't have... Chick Flicks." Dean told me. "I hope you didn't want to watch one."

I groaned. "I hate Chick Flicks. I'd much rather a good old fashioned Wild West-type film."

Dean smiled broadly. "You are seriously the coolest girl I've met. Like, ever."

I chuckled as Dean grabbed a selection of movies featuring my favorite cowboy, Clint Eastwood and spreads them out in his hands. "Lady's choice."

I scanned the dvd cases. "Let's go with..." I saw one of my favorites. "Ooh, nice, 'Pale Rider' Let's do it!"

Dean popped the disc in the player and hit play. We both settled down on the couch. I laid down with my head against the warm fabric of Dean's flannel, as he had taken off his jacket when we got here. Dean sat down next to Sammy and put an arm around my shoulder.

"You're not like other girls, Bri." He mumbled as the opening credits rolled down the screen.

"That's a chick flick moment if I've ever heard one, Pretty Boy." I snickered against his side.

He cringed, but then sighed. "True, but I'm not lying. You're really cool. And beautiful. And funny. And I've never felt like this. At the risk of sounding like a sappy dope, when you grabbed my hand earlier and pulled me in your house, it's like there was–"

"Sparks?" Bri continued his sentence when he trailed off.

"Mmhmm..." He hummed in response, and turned around to face her. He smiled softly and slowly leaned in, giving Bri enough time to pull away. She didn't.

Their lips met and it was like sparks flew. Dean's hand came up to cup the back of Bri's neck and the other rests at her slim waist. Bri's hands were pressed against Dean's chest.

As the kiss deepened Dean slowly pushes Bri back against the couch. His hand creeped up her waist and began to slowly inch her sweatshirt up.

The two jumped apart when a voice filled the otherwise silent room. "God, get a room would ya?"

"Damnit, Sam!" Dean huffed, out of breath. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Sam scoffed, "And I nearly got sick to my stomach. Life's not fair, jerk."

Dean's eyes narrowed. "Listen here, bitch–"

"Hey! You're both asses, ok?" Bri interrupted. "Now, Sammy, what's up?"

Sam glanced down and his cheeks flushed pink. "Well, by the looks of it, almost your sweatshirt."

Dean and I both looked down at my stomach to see that Dean had pushed up my shirt so much that you could see the bottom of my dark blue lacy bra. Both me and Dean flushed a deep red. I quickly pulled down my shirt.

"Uh, well," Dean stuttered, "now that you're up, do you want to watch a movie?"

Sammy shrugged. "I guess..." He reclined back against the arm of the couch and Dean settled in next to him. I lied down on my back with my head against the other arm of the couch. Dean swiftly pulled my feet into his lap and rested his hands on my ankles.

I don't know how many movies we watched like this but eventually, with the soft feeling of Dean running his hand up and down my lower calf, I drifted asleep.

SPNSPNSPNSPN

BOBBYS POV

I got home around 2:30 covered in some creauture or another. I heard an old Clint Eastwood movie playing in the living room.

Well, Dean's home...

I walked into the room, intent on shutting the television off. When I got there I turned off the tv and then turned around to tell Dean, who I knew was sleeping cause of the snoring, to go to bed. But I stopped when I saw the scene.

Bridgette was also here. She was sleeping on her back, with her feet on Dean's lap. Dean was in the middle, his hands resting at Bridgette's ankles and his head had lolled over and fallen on top of Sammy. Sammy was all the way on the left of the couch, curled up against the armrest.

I held back a chuckle.

Well if this just the weirdest bunch of idjits I ever seen.


	3. Pilot

31 OCTOBER 2005. (PRESENT DAY)

STANFORD UNIVERSITY 22 YR OLD SAMS POV

"Sam!" I hear Jess call to me.

I look up as she comes around the corner; she is wearing a sexy-nurse costume and adjusting her hat.

Damn she looks sexy as hell.

"Get a move on, would you?" She says to me, sounding exasperated.

"We were supposed to be there like fifteen minutes ago." She sighs, gives me an annoyed look and walks out of the room.

"Sam!" She calls out to me from the other room. "You coming or what?"

I poke my head around the corner. "Do I have to?" I use that whiny voice that drove many, many people nuts back in the day.

"Yes!" Jess exclaims. "It'll be fun."

Knowing that I'm beat, I walk into the room fully.

I am so whipped.

Jess looks me over. "And where's your costume?" I'm wearing my signature jeans, and two shirts and a jacket layered on each other.

I chuckle a bit. "You know how I feel about Halloween." Well actually she didn't. She didn't know that the reason I disliked Halloween was that I knew what sorta nasty things were out there. And dressing up like 'em were not on my 'fun things to do' list.

XXXXXX

We're at the bar now, having fun.

The bar is all decked out for Halloween, including a gargoyle with cobwebs and a baseball hat that says "GET NAKED". Everyone is in costume. Well, minus me, of course.

Jess raises a glass as Luis, in a ghoul costume, comes up to the table where we're seated. "So here's to Sam—" she toasts. "–and his awesome LSAT victory."

"All right, all right, it's not that big a deal." I feel my face flush red. We all clink glasses, regardless of my comment.

"Yeah, he acts all humble." Jess says to Luis. "But he scored a one seventy-four."

Luis downs his shot and so do I.

"Is that good?" Luis asks about my LSAT score.

"Scary good." Jess drinks her shot, too.

"So there you go." Luis comments. "You are a first-round draft pick. You can go to any law school you want!" He takes a seat next to me.

"Actually, I got an interview here. Monday." I inform Luis. "If it goes okay I think I got a shot at a full ride next year."

"Hey. It's gonna go great." Jess assures me in that calming way that only two people in my life could accomplish.

"It better." I sigh, now slightly upset from my thoughts.

Great... Now I'm thinking about Bridgette.

But, I mean can you blame me? The girl's my best friend and I haven't seen her in person for almost ten years.

I know, you're thinking 'How can you be best friends if you haven't seen her in that long?' Well, there's emailing, calling, sending letters, and more. Although, I used to talk to her regularly, college has kept me busy and I haven't spoken to her more than twice in the past two years. A shame too, we used to be real close.

Luis's voice brings me out of my thoughts. "How does it feel to be the golden boy of your family?"

I want to say:

Golden boy? Well considering the fact that unless you hunt monsters you don't mean jack shit... I wouldn't know how that feels.

But alas, I settle for telling him, "Uh, they don't know."

"Oh, no, I would be gloating! Why not?" I can tell Luis thinks I'm nuts for not telling them.

"Because we're not exactly the Bradys." I say, not bothering to hide the bitter tone in my voice.

"And I'm not exactly the Huxtables." Luis jokes. "More shots?"

"No. No." Me and Jess immediately decline.

"No." I add for good measure. Luis goes up to the bar anyway.

"No, seriously." Jess looks at me. "I'm proud of you. And you're gonna knock 'em dead on Monday and you're gonna get that full ride. I know it."

"What would I do without you?" I ask her in all honesty.

She smiles. "Crash and burn." And pulls me in for a searing kiss. All the thoughts of disappointed families and estranged best friends dissipate from my mind.

Damn, I got lucky with this girl.

XXXXXXX

SAM AND JESS' APARTMENT

BEDROOM – NIGHTQ

Me and Jess were asleep in bed when I heard it.

A sound outside the room, like a window opening. I open my eyes. Normal ears wouldn't have picked it up, but my ears are trained from all of my years of hunting.

I leave my bedroom quietly, so not to wake Jess up, and look around the apartment.

A window is open; earlier it was closed, I know it. Then suddenly, footsteps. A figure walks past the strings of beads at the far end of the hall. I move to another part of the apartment and lie in wait. The figure, a man, enters the room. I lunge forward and grab the man at the shoulder. The man knocks my arm away and aims a strike at me, but I duck. He grabs my arm, swings me around, and shoves me back. I kick but I'm blocked, then pushed back into another room. The man elbows me in the face; I kick at his head. He ducks and swings at me, but I block his attack. The man knocks me down and pins me to the floor, one hand at my neck and the other holding my wrist.

Really? I can fight monsters, but not a human that breaks into my apartment?

"Whoa, easy, tiger"

Wait...

"Dean?" I say, breathing heavily.

Dean just laughs.

"You scared the crap out of me!" I exclaim, pissed beyond belief.

"That's 'cause you're out of practice." Dean tells me, still chuckling a bit.

Just to prove him wrong, I grab his hand and yank, slamming my heel into his back and pushing him to the floor.

"Or not." Dean concludes. "Get off of me."

I roll to my feet and pull Dean up with me.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask him.

"Well, I was looking for a beer." Dean says and I sigh.

Dean puts his hands on my shoulders, shakes once, and lets go.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask him once again.

"Okay. All right." Dean finally gives him. "We gotta talk."

Has he ever heard of an invention called the telephone?

"Uh, the phone?"

"If I'd'a called, would you have picked up?" He asks me with a serious face.

True, true.

Suddenly the light turns on.

"Sam?" I hear Jess's voice say to me

Me and Dean turn their heads in unison.

It's Jess, and she's wearing very short shorts and a cropped Smurfs shirt.

Dean, I will kill you if you so much as think of looking anywhere below her chin.

"Jess. Hey." I greet her. "Dean, this is my girlfriend, Jessica."

Dean looks at her appreciatively.

Great, now I have to kill my own brother.

"Wait, your brother Dean?" Jess asks, obviously very surprised.

She smiles and I nod.

Dean grins at her and moves closer. "Oh, I love the Smurfs. You know, I gotta tell you. You are completely out of my brother's league."

Dean you better back the hell up.

"Just let me put something on." Jess turns to go, but Dean's voice stops her.

"No, no, no," He objects. "I wouldn't dream of it. Seriously."

Dean goes back over to me without taking his eyes off Jess.

Where's a knife when you need one?

"Anyway," He says. "I gotta borrow your boyfriend here, talk about some private family business." He gives me that look. "But, uh, nice meeting you."

"No." I go over to Jess and put an arm around her. "No, whatever you want to say, you can say it in front of her."

"Okay." Dean says reluctantly. He turns to look at both of us straight on.

"Um. Dad hasn't been home in a few days."

"So he's working overtime on a Miller Time shift. He'll stumble back in sooner or later." I brush it off.

Dean ducks his head and looks back up. "Dad's on a hunting trip. And he hasn't been home in a few days."

Out of my peripheral vision I see Jess glance up at me.

"Jess, excuse us. We have to go outside."

OUTSIDE APARTMENT 26 YR OLD DEANS POV

Me and Sam head downstairs. He has put on jeans and a hoodie.

"I mean, come on. You can't just break in, middle of the night, and expect me to hit the road with you." He says to me.

Great, now he's all pissy.

"You're not hearing me, Sammy. Dad's missing. I need you to help me find him. And it's not just us." I tell him cryptically.

"What do you mean?" He asks with narrowed eyes.

"Let's just say we're gonna call in a specialist."

"Whatever. You remember the poltergeist in Amherst? Or the Devil's Gates in Clifton? Dad was missing then, too. He's always missing, and he's always fine."

I stops and turn around. Sam stops too.

"Not for this long." I tell him. "Now are you gonna come with me or not?"

"I'm not."

Damn, I forgot how stubborn this kid was.

"Why not?" I ask him.

I swore I was done hunting. For good." He tells me.

"Come on. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't that bad." I say as I start walking downstairs again. Sam follows.

"Yeah? When I told Dad I was scared of the thing in my closet, he gave me .45." He reminds me.

I stop at the door that leads outside. "Well, what was he supposed to do?"

"I was nine years old!" Sammy exclaims. "He was supposed to say, don't be afraid of the dark."

"Don't be afraid of the dark? Are you kidding me?" What the hell is the matter with him. "Of course you should be afraid of the dark. You know what's out there."

"Yeah, I know, but still. The way we grew up," He hesitates. "after Mom was killed, and Dad's obsession to find the thing that killed her."

I glance outside.

"But we still haven't found the damn thing. So we kill everything we can find."

"We save a lot of people doing it, too." I remind him defensively.

After a pause Sam says, "You think Mom would have wanted this for us?"

I roll my eyes and slam the door

There's a short flight of stairs from the door to the parking lot. Me and Sam descend it.

"The weapon training, and melting the silver into bullets? Man, Dean, we were raised like warriors." Sam argues.

We cross the parking lot to the Impala, my Baby.

"So what are you gonna do? You're just gonna live some normal, apple pie life? Is that it?" I ask him, beginning to get a bit pissed off myself.

"No. Not normal." Sam corrects me in an annoying way that's all his own. "Safe."

"And that's why you ran away." I conclude and then look away.

"I was just going to college. It was Dad who said if I was gonna go I should stay gone." Sam reminds me. "And that's what I'm doing."

"Yeah, well, Dad's in real trouble right now. If he's not dead already. I can feel it."

Sam is silent. I knew that saying dad may be dead would get to him. He may despise the man, but he's still our father and just about the only family we've got left.

"I can't do this alone." I tell him.

"Yes you can." He argues with me.

Dammit Sammy, this isn't some debate. It's Dad.

"Yeah, well, I don't want to."

Sam sighs and looks down, his thinking activated, then up.

"What was he hunting?" He gives in.

Yes!

I open the trunk of the Impala, then the spare-tire compartment. It's our arsenal. I props the compartment open with a shotgun and dig through the clutter.

"All right, let's see, where the hell did I put that thing?" I mutter.

"So when Dad left, why didn't you go with him?" Sam questions me.

"I was working my own gig. This, uh, voodoo thing, down in New Orleans." I explain.

Sam gets a shocked look on his face. "Dad let you go on a hunting trip by yourself?"

I look over at him and scoff, "I'm twenty-six, dude."

I pulls some papers out of the folder of the case Dad was working on.

"All right, here we go. So Dad was checking out this two-lane blacktop just outside of Jericho, California. About a month ago, this guy." I hand one of the papers to Sam. "They found his car, but he vanished. Completely MIA."

The paper is a printout of an article from the Jericho Herald, headlined "Centennial Highway Disappearance" and dated Sept. 19th 2005; it has a man's picture, captioned "Andrew Carey MISSING". Sam reads it and glances up.

"So maybe he was kidnapped." Sam suggests, obviously still not wanting to go.

"Yeah. Well, here's another one in April." I tell him.

I toss down more Jericho Herald articles. "Another one in December '04, '03, '98, '92, ten of them over the past twenty years."

I takes the article back from Sam and pick up the rest of the stack, putting them back in the folder.

"All men, all the same five-mile stretch of road." I pull a bag out of another part of the arsenal. "It started happening more and more, so Dad went to go dig around. That was about three weeks ago. I hadn't heard from him since, which is bad enough."

I grab a handheld tape recorder. "Then I get this voicemail yesterday."

I press play. The recording is staticky and the signal was clearly breaking up.

"Dean..." My Dad says. "Something big is starting to happen...I need to try and figure out what's going on. It may... Be very careful, Dean. We're all in danger."

I press stop.

"You know there's EVP on that?" Sam asks me.

Of course I do.

"Not bad, Sammy." I congratulate him. "Kinda like riding a bike, isn't it?"

Sam shakes his head.

"All right. I slowed the message down, I ran it through a gold wave, took out the hiss, and this is what I got." I press play again.

It's a woman's voice. "I can never go home..."

I press stop.

"Never go home." Sammy repeats.

I drop the recorder, put down the shotgun, stand up straight, and shut the trunk, then I lean on it. "You know, in almost two years I've never bothered you, never asked you for a thing."

Sam looks away and sighs, then looks back. "All right. I'll go. I'll help you find him."

I just nod, hiding my gratefulness inside of me.

"But I have to get back first thing Monday. Just wait here."

Sam turns to go back to the apartment. He turns back when I speak. "What's first thing Monday?"

"I have this...I have an interview." Sam hesitantly tells me.

"What, a job interview? Skip it." I scoff.

"It's a law school interview, and it's my whole future on a plate." Sam defensively corrects me.

"Law school?" I smirk.

"So we got a deal or not?"

APARTMENT 22 YR OLD SAMS POV

I'm in my bedroom packing a duffel bag for my road trip with Dean. I pull out a large hook-shaped knife and slides it inside.

You never know.

Jess comes into the room.

"Wait, you're taking off?" She asks me, a confused look appearing on her pretty face.

I look up.

"Is this about your dad?" She asks. "Is he all right?"

"Yeah. You know, just a little family drama." Damn I feel awful lying to her.

I go over to the dresser and turn on the lamp atop it.

"Your brother said he was on some kind of hunting trip." Jess points out.

She sits on the bed. I rummage in one of the drawers and come out with a couple shirts, which go in the duffel.

"Oh, yeah, he's just deer hunting up at the cabin," I lie. Again. "He's probably got Jim, Jack, and José along with him. I'm just going to go bring him back."

"What about the interview?"

"I'll make the interview." I assure her. "This is only for a couple days."

I go around the bed and Jess gets up and follows.

"Sam, I mean, please." I stop and turn. "Just stop for a second. You sure you're okay?"

I laugh a little.

Define okay...

"I'm fine."

"It's just...you won't even talk about your family. And now you're taking off in the middle of the night to spend a weekend with them? And with Monday coming up, which is kind of a huge deal." She makes a valid point... If only I could tell her... But it would put her in danger, so I can't.

"Hey. Everything's going to be okay. I will be back in time, I promise." I kiss her on the cheek and leave.

"At least tell me where you're going." She calls.

I can't answer that.

XXXXXX

33 HOURS LATER. SAVANNA GEORGIA

"Where are we going?" I ask Dean for what feels like the thousandth time. "And who is this 'specialist' that we're picking up?"

"We, brother, are going to Savanna, Georgia." He smirks. "And about the 'who', you'll see."

I groan. "You're an impossible jerk, Dean."

"And you're a whiny little bitch, Sammy." He says in his, sometimes, annoying as hell, voice.

"Ha ha." I laugh wryly. "And it's Sam, not Sammy. For the last time Sammy is a chubby twelve year old."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, we're here." Dean says as he pulls into the driveway of a two story, blue house. We both get out of the car. "C'mon, we gotta pick the lock." He begins to walk toward the house.

"Woah, woah, woah!" I call out to him. I catch up and grab his shoulder, spinning him around. "Who's house is this? And why do we have to break in?"

With a sigh, Dean finally relents. "This is house Bridgette's house. And it's more fun to break in."

"What?" I exclaim. A smile lighting up my face at the thought of seeing my best friend. "You know if you told me that, I would of come along a lot easier."

"Yeah..." Dean trails off. "Well, I haven't talked to her in almost a decade and I didn't want to get your hopes up incase I changed my mind..."

"And why would you do that?" I ask, although I already know the answer. "Do you still loovveeee her?"

"No I don't 'loovveeee' her." Dean denies, unconvincingly. "I never did."

"Dude, she was hot, cool and loved Zeppelin. She was practically your female equivalent." I scoff. "Of course you did."

"No, Sam, I didn't." He denies again.

"Dean, she's the only girl that you ever gave the time of day. Well, at least the only one that you didn't screw and never think of again. You definitely did love her. At least a little." I laugh as I head toward the door.

"Whatever Sam." Dean says as he falls in line with my steps. "And I did screw her. Incase you forgot."

We reach the door. "Yeah but you were dating her for almost three months Dean. I didn't expect you guys to not fool around. What I'm saying is that you didn't hop into bed with her within the first ten minutes of meeting her like you normally did. Hell, I think that you were nervous just kissing her." I knock on the door.

"Hey!" Dean exclaims as he sees me knock. "What are you doing?!"

"Dean, it's called knocking. It's what people do when they want to enter other people's homes." I say slowly, like I'm explaining something to a child.

"Yeah, but Sam—" Dean gets cut off by the door opening. I smile wide and turn my head, expecting to see Bridgette. But unless my brunette best friend has turned into a 6'1 male with shaggy black hair and blue eyes, that's not her.

My smile fades. "Umm" I stutter. I turn to Dean and whisper. "Is this the right house?"

"I—" He stops when he hears music coming from inside the house. It was Warrant's 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'. "This is definitely the right house. I hear Warrant playing from inside. Warrant was one of her favorites."

"Who are you people?" The man asks with a deep voice and narrowed eyes.

"My name's Dean Winchester, and this is my brother Sam." Dean introduces us. "We're old friends of Bridgette."

"Wait. Dean?" He asks, beginning to glare at Dean even more.

"Uh, yeah." Dean asks with a confused look. "And you are?"

"I'm Bridgette's boyfriend." He tells us, in a gruff tone of voice.

"Wait you're her boyf—" I began to say when a voice cuts me off.

"Dustin, who's at the door?" We hear a familiar raspy voice call from upstairs.

Before the guy, Dustin, can answer Dean smirks and calls out, "Legs! Your boyfriend won't let us in!"

Upstairs we hear something fall on the floor and the the sound of feet pounding down the stairs.

I hear Dean's breath hitch.

And there's Bridgette, dressed in, okay wow didn't need to see that, a pair of blue jeans, and a dark purple lacy bra. And oh god she has sex hair. Nasty. Oh, and look boy-toy, here, is shirtless.

Ugh, it was bad enough seeing it back then after she and Dean did it.

"Dean! Sammy!" She runs toward us, past Dustin and into Dean's arms, that bright smile of hers lighting up.

"Hey, Hart!" Dean says as he wraps his arms around her waist an lifting her off the ground. "Long time no see." He buries his head into her, just as long as ten years ago but now wavy, brown hair. I just know he's sniffing it. I chuckle a bit at the thought.

"Ten years is too long, Winchester." Bridgette pulls back keeping her arms around Dean's neck . "Wow, you look great! And—Oh my god!" Her eyes grow wide.

"What?" Dean asks self consciously, his eyes widening. I have to hold in a laugh.

"You have stubble." She runs the backs of her fingers over Dean's jaw and I can see him beginning to squirm just like when we first met Bridgette. She had dropped her car keys and bent over to pick them up. Dean, being Dean, had stared and when she looked back up he had blushed. I mean I did too a bit, but I was a thirteen year old kid and a pretty girl was in view. You can hardly blame me. Bridgette is like the sister I never had now, and sibling love is as deep as our connection runs. "You can finally grow a beard!"

I laugh, and so does Dean as he says, "Hey! I could back then too! It was a choice not to grow one!"

"Well, it suits you." Bridgette pats his cheek and then turns to me. I smile at her. "Hey Tadpole!" She greets me as she reaches up and wraps her arms around my neck.

I wrap my arms around her waist and squeeze tightly. "Incase you haven't noticed, I've got almost an entire foot on you, now."

We pull back. "Yeah, I did notice actually. Jeez, I mean, you're like a skyscraper now! I knew your voice had cracked, but you coulda told me that you got infected with a Sasquatch virus, too." She cups her hands around her mouth and speaks loudly. "I mean can you even hear me up there?"

Dean busts out laughing and I do too, shortly followed by Bri.

"And it's not a foot," she adds. "I'm 5'6"

"Doubtful." Dean scoffs and Bri hits him on the chest with the back of her hand.

"C'mon," I laugh, "What's your real height?"

"Fine," she relents, "5'5."

When we give her doubtful looks she breaks, "Okay, okay, it is a foot. I'm 5'4."

"Hey!" Dustin interrupts. "Hate to break up the reunion, but why is my girl's ex in our house?"

"Dustin, don't be rude!" Bri berates him. "Sammy and Dean are my best friends. Whether Dean is my ex-boyfriend, or not."

I look at Dean to see him giving Dustin a smug look.

I then turn to Bridgette. "Hey, Bri, can Dean, and I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure" Bri answers at the same time Dustin says, "No way!"

"And why the hell can't she?" Deans asks, taking a step forward, and his voice dropping an octave.

"Dean..." I step forward and push him back

"She's standing there in her bra in front of her ex boyfriend. Of course I don't want you alone with her!" Dustin snaps at Dean.

Dean takes another, less threatening and more arrogant and cocky, step toward him. "Hey pal, you obviously know she was my girlfriend, so if it makes you feel any better, I spent a lot more time taking her bra off instead of looking at it. So I think it'll be alright."

"Dean!" Bri grabs a fistful of Dean's jacket and yanks him back. "It's alright baby, I'll go change quick and" she turns to me and Dean "then we'll talk."

She smiles at us and then turns, gives Dustin a kiss on the cheek and heads up the stairs. Dean, because he's Dean, watches her as she leaves. Watches below the waist.

26 YEAR OLD DEANS POV

Damn she has really grown up.

I'm not trying to be a complete ass... But damn look at her ass. She was always sexy as hell, but the nine years we haven't seen each other has done her well. When she hugged me she was pressing her self to me and well, let's just put it this way... Who wouldn't get at least a little turned on. God damn, that body! And, okay, I have to admit that maybe I smelled her hair a little bit. It's wavy now...

Still smells like flowers, too.

Although, after a few months of dating, holding her, and spending long nights in bed, I liked to think that she picked up a bit of my scent too. But now, my scent seems to have been replaced by the smell of tobacco.

Does she smoke?

"She's not going with you." Dustin says, the sent of tobacco I hitting my senses like a brick wall.

If he got her into smoking, I'll rip his lungs out and feed 'em to him. His nasty smoke-filled lungs.

I narrow my eyes and ball up my fists. "You have no say in what Bri does or doesn't do."

"As that may be," The arrogant bastard takes a threatening step toward me and Sammy, "Bridgette is in love with me. She's agreed to marry me. We're having our wedding in the spring."

"What?" Sam asks him, with wide eyes.

Me? Well I guess I'm just a little confused as to why Bri would say yes to a marriage proposal from this dick.

"Oh, did your invitation not arrive?" He asks sarcastically, making me want to throttle him.

"Alright... You listen here asshole–" I'm super pissed now and this jerk is at the top of my list. Before I can 'unleash the beast' on my pal Dustin, Sammy yanks me back.

"Why don't you go catch up with Bridgette and I'll talk to Dustin." He suggests. Although, I knew that it meant, Dean, instead of trying to tear this guy limb from limb, go see Bri and tell her what's going on. She always made you such a softy.

"Yeah, alright," I look toward the asshole with a smug smile, "I'll see if she needs help getting changed."

I stroll towards the stairs when I hear Dustin mutter something along the lines of, "Dick." And "If you so much as look at her wrong, I'll break you."

I ascend the stairs and follow the sound of 'Mr. Rainmaker'– Again, by Warrant– playing softly. I end up leaning on the door frame of Bri's room as she pulls on a grey, zip-up sweatshirt.

"In my opinion," She turns to face me. "That's way too many layers."

With laughter that's like Led Zeppelin to my ears, she replies, "Once a Perv always a Perv, huh, Winchester?"

"You know me too well, Hart." I say to her, trying to keep my eyes off of the white, form-fitted t-shirt, under her sweatshirt that clings to her body sexily.

God, it should be illegal for her to look so hot, and me not to be allowed to do anything about it.

"C'mere, jackass." She holds out her arms, and I take no time closing the distance between us, wrapping my arms around hers slim waist.

God, I missed you.

"I missed you too, Dean. So much."

Did I say that out loud?

"Is Sammy holding down the fort with Dustin?" She asks as she pulls apart from our hug and sits on her bed. She begins pulling on dark brown boots, over her dark blue jeans, that come up to the top of her calf

I sit next to her. "More or less... So, I hear somebody's getting hitched..."

Her face lights up. "Yeah! In the spring." She holds out her left hand revealing a huge diamond engagement ring.

"Damn, did he rob the freaking Queen of England to get that rock?" My eyes widen.

"Yeah," she sighs. "It's a bit flashy... Isn't it?"

"I'd say so, Legs." I take her hand and pull it closer to my face, to look more closely at the ring. "It's a real shiny one, that's for sure..."

"Yeah, don't get me wrong, I love it and all, but when I was little I'd imagine a much classier ring. Ya know, simple yet it spoke a million words. It would say how much the man that put it on my finger loved me. But, Dustin says that the bigger it is the more other guys are likely to back off." She sighs, and rests her head on my shoulder.

"Yeah, well some guys are insecure like that..." I chuckle, the scent of her signature peach perfume and flowery shampoo invading my nostrils and bringing back an old memory.

XXXXXXX

10 years ago. August 28th 1996. 17 Year old Deans POV****

I smile at the sound of Bridgette's giggles as I nuzzle my mouth against the nape of her neck. "I didn't think you were so ticklish and giggly, Hart." God, her hair smells good.

"Well, Winchester, why don't I just do that to you and we'll see how you react." She challenges me.

I sneak in one more soft kiss to her neck. "Go right ahead, babe, it won't faze me. Do to me whatever your sexy heart wishes to do."

"Fine." She wriggles her naked body around under her bed sheets until she's facing me. One look at her after sex has got me all hot and bothered again and I'm ready for another round.

"Why are you so hot?" I ask her as I lean in to kiss her. My eyes just close when I feel her hand push my face back.

"Hey, you said it was my turn to make you giggle." She reminds me.

"Well, then. Go on, although I must warn you. I don't giggle."

"We'll just have to see about that, Winchester." She leans in and begins placing soft, little kisses on my shirtless chest.

"Baby, that isn't gonna make me giggle. All you're succeeding in doing is turning me on all over again." I chuckle.

"Maybe that was the plan all along, Sexy." She she says, her voice dropping an octave with lust. She throws her right leg over my waist so she's straddling me. My hands instinctively go to her waist to hold her there, so I can enjoy the view of her naked top half.

"Then, baby, I'm begging you to put that plan into action." I say to her, my voice low.

"As you wish, Master." Bri leans down and begins to leave a trail of wet kisses down my jaw line and neck, eventually finding the pulse point on my neck and nipping at it.

"God!" I moan.

She chuckles against my skin. "Not, quite, Pretty Boy, not quite."

Has she no shame? But I guess that's

why—

"Mmmm...I love you." The words escape my mouth as a moan before I can stop them.

Bridgette halts her motions and sits up so she's looking into my eyes. "What?" She squeaks.

"I-I said, umm, that I uh-" God I suck at this. "I love you, Bri."

That gleaming smile I love so much breaks out on her face. She leans down, yanking my head up to meet hers halfway, and kisses my with so much passion it makes my head spin. When we finally pull apart, we've ended so she's trapped underneath me, our foreheads touching.

"I love you too, Dean." She pants, out of breath from our previous embrace.

Smiling like a fool, I lean down and kiss her again, and as one thing leads to another, we repeat the previous night's activities. A while later I hold Bri in my arms and she draws little patterns on my chest, that I'm almost certain are little anti-possession symbols.

God, this girl.

"You should probably get back to Bobby's." Her emerald eyes lock with mine. "Ya know, before he notices you're gone and sends Sammy out looking for you. Your naked ass'll scar him for life, no doubt."

"I know." I sigh and plant a chaste kiss to her kiss-swollen lips. Then we both get up and dress. Her parents are out of town on a hunt, so we don't have to be quiet or cautious in fear of her dad gutting me alive.

As I get ready to go out the front door she pulls my head down and kisses my lips soundly. "I love you, and I'll see you tonight at Bobby's for that movie marathon Sammy wanted to watch, right?"

"You know it, Cherry Pie. I love you too." I tell her with a genuine smile.

"Bye, Pretty Boy." She hugs me tightly.

"Bye, babe." I turn around and begin walking toward Bobby's house.

xxxxx

God. If I knew that when I climbed through that window and went downstairs that Dad would be there and drag me off to another shitty motel I never would of left. Or I would have at least said a proper goodbye.

And I know, I told Sammy I didn't love her, but if I'd told him, he'd never shut up about it.

"Bri, I'm sorry." I apologize, our fingers still intertwined. "I never should have left you like that."

"Dean, it's alright." She sighs. "I mean Yeah, I was sad, and angry, and confused, but I'm past it now."

"I just hope you didn't doubt that I really did love you. Because I did." I assure her, as I put my free hand on her cheek.

"I know," she whispers, leaning into my touch, "I know Dean. And I loved you."

"Damn," I breath out. "We were just having a chick flick moment weren't we?" My hand falls around her shoulder, pulling her into my side.

"Yeah, might as well slap a skirt on you and call you Deanna." She laughs, shoulders shaking against the side of my body.

"Hey, I wouldn't go that far now." I chuckle along with her. "Or else, we're gonna have to draw you a beard, and call you... Well we can just call you By your middle name... Carter."

"It's not a boy's name, you jackass." She jokingly glares at me.

"It kind of is though, Legs." I pat her legs.

"Ya know, I don't know why you still even call me Legs, I might have let myself go. I mean, c'mon, it's been almost ten years, Dean. I'm not sixteen anymore." She pats my cheek and stands up and walks over to her vanity to put on makeup.

Not like she needs it.

"Yeah, I can tell." I cross the room and sit on the small sofa against the wall. "I mean, look at you."

She applies her peach colored lipstick. "What's that mean?"

"Nothing bad," I lounge against the back of the sofa. "Just that, well, your all grown up..."

She laughs as she applies her eyeliner and mascara. "That is what ten years'll do to ya."

"So, how'd you and the asshole meet?" I ask causally.

"Me and Dustin, were actually together before I met you and Sammy. We split like four months before you came to Bobby's. We got back together towards the end of our senior year and have been together since." Bri gives me a—what is that? Sad? Pitiful maybe?— smile.

"Oh," I trail off, not quite knowing what to say.

"Yeah," She says. "So, this is the first time I've heard from you in almost a decade... What's going on?"

"Bri," I sigh, "I know you quit hunting, Sammy told me, that you did a few years ago, but we need you. I need you, Bridgette. My dad's gone missing."

"John's missing?" She asks with wide eyes. I nod, sadly. "And you want me to help you and Sammy find him?"

"Please, Bri." I plead.

She looks like she's having an internal argument with herself before slowly grinning. "Well, gosh, how can I say no to that face?" She teases, lifting my mood. "I'll help you guys."

"Yes!" I leap up and pull her off of her chair. I spin her around, and she winds her legs around my waist to stay steady. "Thadda girl!"

She giggles, "Put me down, Pretty Boy, or I can promise you that there'll be puke down your back."

I chuckle as I set her down. "Let me just get into my 'Hunter's Attire' quick, and pack. I'll be down in a few."

I flash her a smirk, "You sure you don't need help, Cherry Pie?"

She groans,"Oh god, I was hoping you forgot about that nickname..."

"Bri, you were so drunk that time that you practically gave me a lap dance to 'Cherry Pie'... While Sam was in the room." I remind her, laughing.

"Shut up and get outta here!" She scolds me, trying to to laugh and failing.

I raise my hands in mock surrender and leave her room. I head back downstairs.

"D'you ask her?" Sam asks me when I stand next to him.

I send a smug look Dustin's way. "Yeah, I did, right after the hot sex anyway."

Sammy lands a whack on my shoulder. Dustin looks confused. "Ask her what?"

"I'm going on the road with the guys for awhile." We all look up to see Bridgette descending the stairs, a duffel bag slung around her shoulders. She's now dressed in light blue, ripped jeans, black combat boots and a black leather jacket, zipped up. Her blonde hair is up in a bun, and her makeup is the same. I can see a tattoo on the back of her neck of three ravens.

"What do you mean 'going on the road'?" The douchebag asks her with narrowed eyes.

"Sammy and Dean's dad has been on a hunting trip up in the woods in Michigan for a while. They haven't heard from him, so we're gonna bring him home." Bri lies flawlessly.

That's my girl.

"Why can't they do it?" Dustin pushes. "Why do they need you?"

"Dustin, my best friends need my help. I'm going whether you like it or not." She begins walking toward me and Sammy.

"If you walk out that door we're over."

**** 25 YEAR OLD BRIDGETTES POV

WAIT.

What did he just say?

"Excuse me?" I turn around and ask, not thinking that I heard him correctly. "What'd you say?"

"You heard me, Bridgette." He steps toward me. "You walk out that door, we're over. I won't let you go with him for God knows how long, when he's your ex boyfriend."

"So you don't trust me?" He stays silent. I turn to the boys. One look at them tells me that the want and need my help.

What the hell do I do?

On one hand Dustin's kinda a control freak. And he can be an ass. And he won't let me have any guy friends.

Ya know what? Screw this shit! He was just a rebound that went on far too long.

Turning back to Dustin, I slip the cold, silver engagement ring off of my left hand and take his hand. I put the ring on it and with my other hand, close his fist. "I'm sorry Dustin. But they need me and you obviously don't trust me as much as you should considering we've been together almost eight years, not counting freshman and sophomore year of high school. To be honest, you've never trusted me. Luc Ashfield... You remember Luc, right? I had been friends with him since the third grade and you gave me the most ridiculous ultimatum: Him or you. And the it was other guy friends or you. And then it was going out on Friday nights to a party or a football game with the girls or you."

I can feel the angry tears gathering in my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. "Eventually it was everything or you, Dustin! And that was only Freshman and Sophomore years! I finally caught wind of the way you treated me and broke it off. Then I met Dean. And he is singlehandedly one of the most caring, and sweet and generous guys I've ever met. He blows you out of the goddamn water! And after he left, yeah, of course I slept with a guy or two, eventually, but damn. And can you blame me? I wanted to enjoy my freedom. Senior year you were my rebound! I was crushed that the guy I loved moved away and you were the only person that I didn't feel that bad about using. Dean was the only man that I could see a future with! I settled for you! So screw you and your ultimatums. The first thing I'm doing when I get far far away from you is getting drunk off shots of tequila and hooking up with some guy I've just met!"

I turn around and walk toward the door. As an after thought I add, "You suck in bed anyways. And you always leave a nasty tobacco aftertaste in my mouth. For god sake it's called brushing your teeth, or eating a mint or something, Jesus!

I turn on my heels, go outside and walk to the Impala in the driveway, that I know is Dean's. He told me all about it, and how it would be his one day. Once I get to it, I slide into the backseat and let the tears start falling freely. Sammy and Dean get into the driver and passenger seats. We begin to drive away in silence. All I can think is:

What the hell just happened?


	4. Wendigo

***Third person POV***

In a cemetery in Palo Alto California, Sam is wearing a suit and tie and carrying a bouquet of various flowers excluding roses.

He sighs and stops next to a gravestone. It reads "JESSICA LEE MOORE", "Beloved Daughter", "January 24th 1984 – November 2nd 2005". There is a small picture of a grinning Jess set into the stone above her name. There's also a black-and-white picture of her leaning against the stone between a white teddy bear and a wooden box with a crucifix leaning on the picture, and a small American flag next to the box.

Sam looks between the gravestone and the flowers.

"I uh..." He laughs nervously. "You always said roses were, were lame, so I brought you, uh..."

Sam looks at the picture set into the gravestone, then looks away, choking back tears. He steps closer to the gravestone.

"Jess...oh God..." He kneels to set down the flowers. "I should have protected you. I should have told you the truth." Sam leans the flowers in front of the crucifix. An arm covered in dirt shoots out of the ground and grabs him by the wrist.

IMPALA

Sam jerks awake in the Impala. He is riding shotgun next to Dean. Foreigner's "Hot-Blooded" is playing, and Bri is sprawled out on the back seat with headphones on her ears. She's sleeping and must have dozed off listening to her iPod.

Sam blinks and rubs his eyes. Dean looks over, concerned. "You okay?"

Sam glances over and away. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Dean nods although Sam knows he's not convinced. "Another nightmare?"

Sam clears his throat awkwardly.

"You wanna drive for a while?" Dean offers.

Sam laughs in disbelief, "Dean, your whole life you never once asked me that."

"Just thought you might want to. Never mind." Dean dismisses Sam defensively.

"Look, man, you're worried about me." Sam sighs. "I get it, and thank you, but I'm perfectly okay."

"Mm-hm." Dean hums.

"Sure ya are, Bean Stalk."

Sam turns his head and Dean peeks in the rear view mirror to see Bri putting her iPod away and sitting up.

"Sleeping Beauty finally awakens." Dean teases her.

"Does that make you my Prince Charming, Winchester?" Bri tilts her head and asks. "Cause if you are I think I wanna go back to sleep."

Sam chuckles and grabs a map. "All right, where are we?"

"We are just outside of Grand Junction." Dean informs him.

"Colorado... That's always nice." Bri sarcastically muses.

"I hear Colorado's cold. It's perfect for the ice queen's frozen heart." Dean glances at Bri in the mirror. She sticks her tongue out at him.

Sam rolls his eyes and folds down the map, which is of Colorado and has a large red X labeled 35-111. "You know what? Maybe we shouldn't have left Stanford so soon.

"Sam," Dean sighs. "We dug around there for a week. We came up with nothing. If you wanna find the thing that killed Jessica—"

"We gotta find Dad first." Sam interrupts his brother.

"Sam, John disappearing and this thing showing up again after twenty years, it's no coincidence." Bri points out as she leans forward and rests a comforting hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Bri's right, Dad will have answers. He'll know what to do." Dean assures Sam.

"It's weird, man. These coordinates he left us." Sam says. "This Blackwater Ridge."

"What's so weird about it?" Bri asks.

"There's nothing there. It's just woods" Sam puts down the map. "Why is he sending us to the middle of nowhere?"

They drive past the National Forest sign that says, "Welcome to LOST CREEK COLORADO National Forest".

RANGER STATION

The Impala is parked next to a sign that says "RANGER STATION Lost Creek Trail, Lost Creek National Forest".

"So Blackwater Ridge is pretty remote." Sam looks at a 3D map of the national forest, paying particular attention to the ridge labeled "BLACKWATER RIDGE". Dean and Bri look at the decorations.

"It's cut off by these canyons here, rough terrain, dense forest, abandoned silver and gold mines all over the place." Sam observes.

Dean, however, isn't really paying attention. "Dude, check out the size of this freaking bear."

Sam looks over as Bri hits Dean on the back of the head. Dean rubs the spot Bri hit and then looks back at a framed photo of a man standing behind a much larger bear. Sam comes to stand next to Dean and Bri.

"And a dozen or more grizzlies in the area. It's no nature hike, that's for sure." Sam tells him.

A forest ranger, walks up behind them; when he speaks, Dean, Bri, and Sam whip around, startled.

"You kids aren't planning on going out near Blackwater Ridge by any chance?" He asks gruffly.

"No,sir, we're–uh– environmental study majors from UC Boulder, just working on a paper." Bri stammers.

Sam laughs a little, nervously, Bri's eyes flit around the room, and Dean grins and raises a fist.

"Recycle, man."

The ranger's eyes narrow, "Bull," he accuses.

Both Sam and Bri's eyes flick to Dean, who doesn't move.

"You're friends with that Haley girl, right?" The ranger asks.

Dean considers this. "Yes. Yes, we are, Ranger—" Dean checks the ranger's name tag, "Wilkinson."

"She's like our sis!" Bri adds with a wide, nervous smile.

"Well I will tell you exactly what we told her. Her brother filled out a backcountry permit saying he wouldn't be back from Blackwater until the twenty-fourth, so it's not exactly a missing persons now, is it?" The ranger asks.

Dean shakes his head.

"You tell that girl to quit worrying, I'm sure her brother's just fine." The ranger tells the three young adults.

"We will. Well that Haley girl's quite a pistol, huh?" Dean asks the ranger.

"That is putting it mildly." Wilkinson agrees.

"Actually you know what would help is if I could show her a copy of that backcountry permit. You know, so she could see her brother's return date." Dean lies.

Wilkinson eyes Dean, who in turn raises his eyebrows.

Xxxxxx

Dean, Bri, and Sam leave the ranger station. Dean is holding a piece of paper and laughing.

"It's like he's cruising for a hook-up or something." Sam murmurs to Bri.

"It's Dean we're talking about, Sammy. When's he not looking for a quick lay?" Bri reminds Sam, who nods in agreement.

"What do you mean?" Deans brow furrows in confusion.

"The coordinates point to Blackwater Ridge, so what are we waiting for? Let's just go find Dad. I mean, why even talk to this girl?" Sam asks his older brother.

Dean and Bri stop on one side of the Impala (Dean at the drivers door and Bri in the back.) while Sam stops at the other.

"I don't know, maybe we should know what we're walking into before we actually walk into it?" Dean says to an obviously annoyed Sam.

There's a pregnant pause. Dean gives Sam an odd look.

"What?" Sam asks.

"Since when are you all shoot first ask questions later, anyway?" Dean asks with narrowed eyes.

Sam doesn't hesitate even a moment. "Since now."

Sam climbs into the passenger seat.

"Really?" Dean scoffs lightly to himself.

"Play nice, Pretty Boy." Bri playfully warns the older Winchester.

Dean smirks. "In your dreams, Cherry Pie."

"You wish you were in my dreams." Bri opens the door the the back door, gets in the car, and shuts it.

Dean chuckles, his mood slightly lifted and follows Bri and Sam's suit climbing into Baby.

HALEYS HOUSE

Dean, Bri and Sam are standing at the door to a house. The door opens to reveal a young woman.

Dean greets her, "You must be Haley Collins. I'm Dean, this is Sam, and Bridgette. We're, ah, we're rangers with the Park Service. Ranger Wilkinson sent us over. He wanted us to ask a few questions about your brother, Tommy."

Haley hesitates. "Lemme see some ID."

Dean pulls out a fake ID and holds it up against the screen. Haley looks at it, then at Dean who smiles. Haley opens the door. "Come on in."

"Thanks." Bri grins warmly.

The door swings open; Haley catches sight of the Impala.

"That yours?" She asks Dean.

"Yeah." Dean smirks flirtatiously.

Sam is looking back at the Impala, and Bri rolls her eyes.

"Nice car." Haley compliments Dean.

She turns to lead Dean, Bri, and Sam into the kitchen, where A young man is sitting at the table on a laptop. Dean turns his head to mouth something to Sam, and Bri who both roll their eyes.

HALEYS KITCHEN

"So if Tommy's not due back for a while, how do you know something's wrong?" Sam asks Haley.

She comes back into the room with a bowl she places on the table. "He checks in every day by cell. He emails, photos, stupid little videos—we haven't heard anything in over three days now."

"Well, maybe he can't get cell reception." Bri suggests.

"He's got a satellite phone, too." Haley tells her. Suddenly a cell phone starts to ring.

"Speaking of phones..." Bri pulls out her phone and checks the caller ID. "Would you excuse me?"

"Of course." Haley says. Bri smiles and walks out of the room.

"Could it be he's just having fun and forgot to check in?" Dean continues to questions the Collins siblings.

"He wouldn't do that." Ben speaks up.

Dean eyes him. Ben looks away. Haley puts more food on the table.

"Our parents are gone." She explains. "It's just my two brothers and me. We all keep pretty close tabs on each other."

"Can I see the pictures he sent you?" Sam asks Haley gently.

"Yeah." She agrees.

On a laptop, Haley pulls up pictures. "That's Tommy."

Haley clicks twice and another picture comes up, then the still frame opening the latest video.

Tommy begins to speak. "Hey Haley, day six, we're still out near Blackwater Ridge. We're fine, keeping safe, so don't worry, okay? Talk to you tomorrow."

Sam spots the shadow flicking past.

"Well, we'll find your brother. We're heading out to Blackwater Ridge first thing." Dean assures Haley.

"Then maybe I'll see you there. Look, I can't sit around here anymore. So I hired a guy. I'm heading out in the morning, and I'm gonna find Tommy myself." She tells the Winchesters confidently.

"I think I know how you feel." Dean says sympathetically.

"Hey, do you mind forwarding these to me?" Sam asks.

"Sure." Haley agrees.

LOCAL BAR

Someone breaks a game of pool. A waitress goes past carrying beer. Sam, Bri, and Dean sit down at a table.

Dean looks to Bri. "So what was that call earlier about?"

"Oh, it was Dustin again." Bri tells him.

"What'd the douche want this time?" Dean asks gruffly.

"Same old, same old. 'He didn't mean it' and 'he's so sorry about everything'." Bri rolls her eyes.

"You don't buy that bull crap do you?" Dean asks, concerned.

"Of course not." Bri assures him. "Never again."

"Good." Sam says. "So, Blackwater Ridge doesn't get a lot of traffic. Local campers, mostly. But still, this past April, two hikers went missing out there. They were never found." He opens John's journal.

"Any before that?" Dean questions.

Sam pulls out newspaper articles to show Dean and Bri.

"Yeah," He says, "in 1982, eight different people all vanished in the same year. Authorities said it was a grizzly attack."

Sam pulls out his laptop. "And again in 1959 and again before that in 1936."

He opens the laptop, which already has a window open to Tommy's video.

"Every twenty-three years, just like clockwork. Okay. Watch this. Here's a clincher. I downloaded that guy Tommy's video to the laptop. Check this out."

Sam pulls up the video and goes through three frames of the video one at a time. A shadow crosses the screen.

"Do it again." Dean requests.

Sam repeats the frames. "That's three frames. That's a fraction of a second. Whatever that thing is, it can move."

"And that ladies and gents is my nerdy best friend, Sammy Winchester." Bri murmurs while patting Sam's shoulder.

Dean hits Sam, who in turn looks up.

"Told you something weird was going on." Dean brags.

"Yeah." Sam closes his laptop. "I got one more thing."

"And it keeps comin'." Bri says, impressed.

Sam hands over another newspaper article.

"In 'fifty-nine one camper survived this supposed grizzly attack. Just a kid. Barely crawled out of the woods alive." He explains.

Dean and Bri look at the paper.

"Is there a name?" Dean asks.

SHAW HOUSE

An old man, Mr. Shaw, talks to Sam, Bri, and Dean while leading them inside his house. Shaw has a cigarette in his mouth.

"Look, ranger," He says, "I don't know why you're asking me about this. It's public record. I was a kid. My parents got mauled by a—"

Sam interrupts, "Grizzly? That's what attacked them?"

Shaw takes a puff of his cigarette, takes it out, and nods.

"The other people that went missing that year, what about those people, huh?" Dean asks.

"Them too?" Bri adds.

There's a pause.

"What about all the people that went missing this year? Same thing?" Dean presses. "If we knew what we were dealing with, we might be able to stop it."

"I seriously doubt that." Shaw dismisses them. "Anyways, I don't see what difference it would make." He sits down. "You wouldn't believe me. Nobody ever did."

Sam sits down across from Shaw. "Mr. Shaw, what did you see?"

Shaw pauses, debating on whether or not to tell them. "Nothing. It moved too fast to see. It hid too well. I heard it, though. A roar. Like...no man or animal I ever heard."

"It came at night?" Sam asks

Shaw nods.

"And it got inside your tent?" Bri asks.

"It got inside our cabin." Shaw corrects her. "I was sleeping in front of the fireplace when it came in. It didn't smash a window or break the door. It unlocked it. Do you know of a bear that could do something like that? I didn't even wake up till I heard my parents screaming."

"It killed them?" Sam asks Shaw gently.

"Dragged them off into the night." Shaw shakes his head. "Why it left me alive... been asking myself that ever since."

There's a pause. Shaw's hands go to his collar. "Did leave me this, though."

He opens his collar to reveal three long scars. Claw marks. Sam, Dean, and Bri take a close look at them.

"There's something evil in those woods. It was some sort of a demon." Shaw tells the three young hunters.

LATER THAT NIGHT MOTEL

Dean, Bri and Sam walk the length of a corridor with rooms on either side.

"Spirits and demons don't have to unlock doors." Dean reasons. "If they want inside, they just go through the walls."

Bri nods in agreement.

"So it's probably something else, something corporeal." Sam thinks aloud.

"Corporeal? Excuse me, professor." Dean teases Sam. Bri rolls her eyes.

"Shut up." Sam retorts. "So what do you guys think?"

"The claws, the speed that it moves...could be a skinwalker, maybe a black dog." Dean suggests. "Whatever we're talking about, we're talking about a creature, and it's corporeal. Which means we can kill it."

PARKING LOT – NIGHTTIME

Dean opens the trunk of the Impala, then the weapons box, and props it open with a shotgun. He puts some guns in a duffel bag. Sam leans in, and Bri stands to the side of the impala, arms crossed.

"We cannot let that Haley girl go out there." Sam says.

"Agreed." Bri nods.

"Oh yeah?" Dean asks incredulously. "What are we gonna tell her? That she can't go into the woods because of a big scary monster?"

"Yeah." Sam nods.

Dean looks at him like he's grown two heads. "Her brother's missing, Sam. She's not gonna just sit this out. Now we go with her, we protect her, and we keep our eyes peeled for our fuzzy predator friend."

"You make it sound like the things gonna cuddle us instead of rip us limb from limb." Bri mutter, but quiets down from the duel glares she receives.

Dean picks up the duffel.

"Finding Dad's not enough?" Sam asks him. He slams the weapons box shut, then the trunk. "Now we gotta babysit too?"

Dean stares at Sam

"What?" Sam asks him.

"Nothing." Dean dismisses him. He throws the duffel bag at Sam and walks off. Sam stares after him and then looks at Bri.

She shrugs. "It's Dean, Gigantor, whatcha gonna do?" Then after a sympathetic smile, she turns and follows the older Winchester.

FOREST— DAYTIME

A man, Roy, talks to Haley, and BEN while checking a shotgun. They're all carrying full backpacks.

"I'll tell you again," Roy says to Haley. "I don't think Ben should come."

"Roy—" She protests.

"Look," Roy cuts her off, "you're paying me good money to keep everybody safe. I think Ben's safest at home."

Suddenly, the Impala pulls up. Roy, Haley, and Ben stare. Haley shakes her head. Sam, Bri, and Dean get out of the car. Bri is holding a duffel bag but tosses it to Sam, who catches it with a grunt.

"You guys got room for three more?" Dean asks.

"Wait, you want to come with us?" Haley asks, with narrowed eyes.

"Who are these chuckleheads?" Roy asks suspiciously, staring down the hunters.

"Apparently," Haley answers him, " this is all the park service could muster up for the search and rescue."

Sam heads past everyone.

"You're rangers?" Roy asks skeptically.

"That's right." Dean nods.

"And you're hiking out in biker boots and jeans?" Haley turns to Bri, "And you, jeans and a leather jacket, really?"

Dean and Bri both look down at themselves then at each other.

"Well, sweetheart, I don't do shorts." Dean tells Haley. Dean heads past Haley.

"I'm a naturally cold person..." Bri tells her and then go to Dean and bumps his shoulder playfully.

"What, you think this is funny?" Roy calls after the trio. "It's dangerous back country out there. Her brother might be hurt."

Sam turns back.

"Believe me," Dean tells Roy, "I know how dangerous it can be. We just wanna help them find their brother, that's all."

Dean heads past both Sam and Bri.

A PLACE SOMEWHERE IN THE WOODS

A mine shaft lets in light. Tom and Gary are hanging by their wrists from the ceiling. There are assorted corpses with them. There's a growling sound. Gary spots a tall skinny shape and starts yelling. Tommy does his best to turn away and closes his eyes tightly as Gary yells in what is most likely excruciating pain.

FOREST

The group hikes through the forest, Roy is in the lead, then Dean, Haley, Ben, and Sam and Bri bringing up the rear.

"Roy, you said you did a little hunting." Dean says to Roy.

"Yeah, more than a little." Roy tells him.

"Uh-huh. What kind of furry critters do you hunt?" Dean's voice is full of mirth.

"Mostly buck, sometimes bear." Roy tells him, not catching on to the tone in his voice.

Dean passes Roy. "Tell me, uh, Bambi or Yogi ever hunt you back?"

Instead of answering Roy grabs Dean and holds in back.

"Whatcha doing, Roy?" Dean asks.

Roy grabs a stick and pokes the bear trap Dean had almost stepped in. Haley looks annoyed, while Bri is thoroughly amused.

"You should watch where you're stepping. Ranger." Roy tells Dean sarcastically.

Roy drops the stick and retakes the lead.

"It's a bear trap." Dean announces to nobody in particular.

They hike on. Haley catches up to Dean.

"You didn't pack any provisions." She tells him. "You people are carrying a duffel bag. You're not rangers." She grabs Dean's arm.

"So who the hell are you?"

Ben goes past Haley and Dean. Sam and Bri look at Dean, who indicates with his expression that they're to go on by; Sam obeys, but Bri doesn't. Dean sighs toward Bri and they both watch Sam go for a moment.

"Sam and I are brothers, and we're looking for our father. He might be here, we don't know. I just figured that you and me, we're in the same boat."

"Who's she then?" Haley eyes Bri skeptically.

"Bridgette, Dean and Sammy are my best friends. I'm helping 'em out." Bridgette speaks up when Dean fails to think of a plausible lie.

Haley seems to buy it. "Why didn't you just tell me that from the start?"

"We're telling you now. 'sides, it's probably the most honest I've ever been with a woman—" Dean stops talking when he's sees a look of hurt on Bri's face. He gives her a look in return that says, 'I don't mean that, I'm just saying it'. Seeing the slight nod of her head, he continues. "Anyways, we good?"

There's a pause and then Haley nods. "Yeah, okay."

"And what do you mean I didn't pack provisions?" Dean pulls out a big bag of peanut M&Ms. Bri's face lights up as she puts her hand in the bag and pops a handful into her mouth. And Dean also sticks his hand in the bag. As they hike on they alternate between putting their hands in the bag and taking M&Ms. Haley waits a moment, then follows them.

LATER IN THE FOREST

Roy leads the way, followed by Sam, Ben, Haley, and Bri and Dean.

"This is it. Blackwater Ridge." Roy announces to everyone.

Sam heads past Roy. "What coordinates are we at?"

Roy pulls out a GPS. "Thirty-five and minus one-eleven."

Dean and Bri come up to Sam. They listen.

"You hear that?" Dean asks.

"Dead silent..." Bri mumbles.

"Yeah. Not even crickets." Sam adds.

"I'm gonna go take a look around." Roy says.

"You shouldn't go off by yourself." Sam warns him.

"That's sweet." Roy's voice is dripping with sarcasm. "Don't worry about me."

Roy waves his gun and pushes through Dean, Bri and Sam to retake the lead. Dean turns back to the others as Ben and Haley catch up.

"All right, everybody stays together. Let's go." Dean commands.

CAMPSITE– DAYTIME

Sam, Bri, Dean, Ben, and Haley are looking around near a large rock.

"Haley!" They hear Roy call. "Over here!"

Haley runs towards Roy's voice, followed closely by the others. They come to a halt.

"Oh my God." Haley whispers.

There are tents that are torn open and bloody and all the supplies are scattered.

"Looks like a grizzly." Roy says.

Dean and Haley look around.

"Tommy?" Haley takes off her backpack and goes through the campsite. "Tommy!"

Sam and Bri move to catch up with Haley.

"Shh." Sam shushes her.

But, she doesn't listen, "Tommy!"

"Shh-hh-hh!" Bri shushes her even louder.

"Why?" Haley asks with wide, confused eyes.

"Something might still be out there." Sam informs her.

"Bri! Sam!" Dean calls the two other hunters over.

They go over to Dean, Sam snapping a stick, and crouch next to him.

"The bodies were dragged from the campsite. But here, the tracks just vanish. That's weird." Dean tells them and they stand up. "I'll tell you what, that's no skinwalker or black dog."

They head back to the campsite. Haley picks up Tommy's cell phone; it's bloody. She cries. She turns the phone over and the back is open.

Dean crouches next to her. "Hey, he could still be alive."

Haley gives Dean a Look.

Suddenly they hear a panicked voice, "Help! Help!"

Roy leads the way as everyone runs to the aid of the shouter.

"Help! Somebody!"

They find no one.

"It seemed like it was coming from around here, didn't it?" Asks Haley, baffled.

They listen, again.

"Everybody back to camp." Sam says urgently.

"Now!" Bri adds, knowing the danger of the unknown voice.

Back at the campsite, all the supplies are missing.

"Our packs!" Haley exclaims.

"So much for my GPS and my satellite phone." Roy grumbles.

"What the hell is going on?" Haley demands.

"It's smart." Sam says and Bri nods in agreement. "It wants to cut us off so we can't call for help."

"You mean someone," Roy asks at hearing Sam call the thing an 'it', "some nutjob out there just stole all our gear."

Sam goes to Dean and Bri.

"I need to speak with you two. In private."

Sam, Bri, and Dean head a little ways away from the group.

"Good. Let me see Dad's journal." Sam says to Dean.

"Sammy, I get all tingly inside when you make orders like that." Bri fake swoons.

Dean snorts as he hands it over. Sam rolls his eyes as he opens it and flips through until he finds a particular page.

"All right, check that out." Sam points to a First Nations–style drawing of a figure.

"Oh come on," Dean exclaims, "wendigos are in the Minnesota woods or, or northern Michigan. I've never even heard of one this far west."

"He's got a point, Stretch..." Bri shrugs.

"Think about it, guys, the claws, the way it can mimic a human voice." Sam explains slowly.

"Great." Dean takes out his pistol. "Well then this is useless."

"And so are these." Bri takes two knifes out of her belt loop.

Sam gives Dean back John's journal and heads past him and Bri, stopping for a moment. "We gotta get these people to safety."

Back at the campsite, Sam addresses the group. "All right, listen up, it's time to go. Things have gotten...more complicated."

"What?" Haley asks, distraught about her brother.

"Kid, don't worry. Whatever's out there, I think I can handle it." Roy assures Sam cockily.

"It's not me I'm worried about." Sam tells them. "If you shoot this thing, you're just gonna make it mad. We have to leave. Now."

"One, you're talking nonsense. Two, you're in no position to give anybody orders." Roy tells him.

"Relax." Dean tells Roy.

"We never should have let you come out here in the first place, all right? I'm trying to protect you." Sam tries to make Roy see sense.

Roy steps right into Sam's space. "You protect me? I was hunting these woods when your mommy was still kissing you good night."

"Yeah? It's a damn near perfect hunter. It's smarter than you, and it's gonna hunt you down and eat you alive unless we get your stupid sorry ass out of here." Sam's is beginning to lose patience, which is a rare occurrence.

Roy laughs. "You know you're crazy, right?"

"Yeah? You ever hunt a wen—" Sam begins to say before Dean pushes him.

"Roy!" Haley berates Roy.

"Chill out." Dean says.

"Stop. Stop it. Everybody just stop." Haley exclaims. "Look. Tommy might still be alive. And I'm not leaving here without him."

A long pause.

"It's getting late. This thing is a good hunter in the day, but an unbelievable hunter at night." Dean tells everyone. "We'll never beat it, not in the dark. We need to settle in and protect ourselves."

"How?" Haley asks.

CAMPSITE– NIGHTTIME

The group has built a campfire, and Dean is drawing something in the dirt around the campsite while Haley pokes at the fire and Bri and Sam have a hushed conversation; most likely about the wendigo.

"One more time, that's—" Haley says to Dean, referring to the symbol he drew in the dirt.

"Anasazi symbols." Dean tells her. "It's for protection. The wendigo can't cross over them."

Roy laughs, gun over his shoulder.

"Nobody likes a skeptic, Roy." Dean tells him.

Dean heads over to sit next to Sam and Bri who are at the edge of the campsite.

"You wanna tell me what's going on in that freaky head of yours, Sammy?" Dean asks his brother.

"Dean—" Sam sighs.

"No, you're not fine." Dean objects. "You're like a powder keg, man, it's not like you. I'm supposed to be the belligerent one, remember?"

"Don't we know that?" Bri mumbles, earning a ghost of a smirk from Dean.

A pause.

"Dad's not here." Sam say to his brother. "I mean, that much we know for sure, right? He would have left us a message, a sign, right?"

"Yeah, you're probably right." Dean agrees. "Tell you the truth, I don't think Dad's ever been to Lost Creek."

"Then let's get these people back to town and let's hit the road. Go find Dad. I mean, why are we still even here?" Sam asks Dean

"This is why." Dean comes around to Sam's front and holds up John's journal. "This book. This is Dad's single most valuable possession—everything he knows about every evil thing is in here. And he's passed it on to us. I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things. The family business."

"Whoo, that was deep, Pretty Boy... 'Saving people. Hunting things. The family business.' That should be our motto!" Bri thinks aloud.

Sam snorts and shakes his head. "That makes no sense. Why doesn't he just—call us? Why doesn't he—tell us what he wants, tell us where he is?"

"I dunno. But the way I see it, Dad's giving us a job to do, and I intend to do it." Dean tells Sam.

"Dean...no. I gotta find Dad. I gotta find Jessica's killer. It's the only thing I can think about." Sam confesses.

"Okay, all right, Sam, we'll find them, I promise." Dean swears. "Listen to me. You've gotta prepare yourself. I mean, this search could take a while, and all that anger, you can't keep it burning over the long haul. It's gonna kill you. You gotta have patience, man."

Sam looks down, then up.

"How do you do it? How does Dad do it? Bri? You? You got out too, and now you're right back in and you take it in stride!" Sam says, exasperated.

Dean and Bri look at each other then look over at Haley and Ben.

"Well for one, them."

Sam looks over at Haley and Ben.

"I mean, I figure our family's so screwed to hell, maybe we can help some others. Makes things a little bit more bearable."

A pause.

"I'll tell you what else helps." Dean says.

Sam looks back at Dean and Bri.

"Killing as many evil sons of bitches as I possibly can." He says with a smirk.

"That always helps." Bri smirks too. "But for me I think it's more of avenging the people who died or got hurt, or who's lives got screwed with by these assholes. Take back part of their dignity for them."

Sam smiles, and chuckles. A twig snaps. And their heads snap up.

Someone, presumably the wendigo, yells,

"Help me! Please!"

Dean stands and readies his gun. Bri does the same and pulls out her knife.

"Help!"

Sam shines a flashlight about.

"He's trying to draw us out. Just stay cool, stay put." Dean advises everyone.

"Inside the magic circle?" Roy's voice is dripping with sarcasm.

"Help! Help me!" The wendigo tries one last time. When nobody falls for the trick it gets mad and begins to growl.

Roy points his gun at the sound. "Okay, that's no grizzly."

Haley talks to Ben. "It's okay. You'll be all right, I promise." Something rushes past her and she shrieks.

"It's here." Sam announces.

Roy shoots at the rustling, then again. "I hit it!" He goes off to see what he hit.

"God damnit, Roy!" Bri immediately chases after him.

"Roy! Bri!" Dean yells. "Shit!" He turns to Haley and Ben.

"Don't move."

Haley's holding a stick, burning at one end, as a weapon. Dean and Sam run after Roy and Bri.

"It's over here! It's in the tree!" They hear Roy yell.

The boys get there in time to see Bri reach Roy just as the wendigo reaches down from the tree and grabs Roy.

"Roy!" Dean shouts. Then the wendigo's arms suddenly reach down and grab Bri by the neck. The shock causes her to drop her knife on the ground as it pulls her up.

"Bri!" Dean and Sam yell at the same time.

"Oh god." Sam mutters and shines the flashlight around.

WENDIGOS LAIR

Bri awakens to a throbbing pain in her neck and a numb feeling in her arms. "Ughhh"

"Are you okay?" A quiet, hoarse voice asks.

Bri's pale green eyes snap open. She sees a young man around her age, also suspended by his arms. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good. What about you?"

"I'm terrified." He admits shakily. "I was taken in the middle of the night from my tent by a- a beast. And I- I can't feel my arms and I keep going in and out of consciousness. Who are you?"

"My name is Bridgette Callagan. Are you Tommy?" Bri asks hopefully.

"Yeah, Tommy Collins. How did you know?" Tommy asks, confused and dazed from the multiple cuts on his head.

"Thank goodness! You're brother and sister... My partners and I have been looking for you with them." Bri tells Tommy.

"Partners?" Tommy asks. "Are you a cop or something?"

Bri smirks, "Or something..." She turns her gaze past Tommy and sees a mangled, suspended body. "Oh, that's just gross!"

"Yeah," Tommy gets a distant look in his eyes. "That's- or it was Gary. My friend."

"I'm really sorry..." Bri frowns. "I know what it's like to see something like that happen to someone close to you."

Tommy barks a wry laugh. "You mean mauled by a beast?"

"Something along those lines..." Bri smirks.

Tommy gives her a weak smile. "You're funny... Pretty too. I can tell I'm gonna like dying here with you."

"Hey! You're not gonna die!" Bri tells him forcefully. "My partners will find us and save us. You are gonna go home with your family and live a long healthy life, Tommy."

"I'm glad one of us thinks so, Bridgette." He tells her before going back into the black world of unconsciousness.

FOREST – DAYTIME

Sam is sitting against a hollow tree stump, holding John's journal and playing with a lanyard attached to it. Dean is pacing, running his hand through his short hair, and Haley and Ben are among the tents.

"I don't...I mean," Haley stutters. "These types of things, they aren't supposed to be real."

"I wish I could tell you different." Dean stops pacing and tells her. "But I can't. My best friend and your brother were kidnapped by it."

"How do we know it's not out there watching us?" Haley asks nervously.

"We don't." Dean tells her bluntly. "But we're safe for now."

"How do you know about this stuff?" She asks.

There's a pause while Dean considers how to answer. "Kind of runs in the family."

Sam comes over. "Hey." Haley stands up. "So we've got half a chance in the daylight. And I for one want to kill this evil son of a bitch."

"Well, hell, you know I'm in. It took Bri and it's time for it to pay." Dean agrees.

Sam shows the wendigo page of John's journal to Haley and Ben.

"'Wendigo' is a Cree Indian word. It means 'evil that devours'." He tells them.

"They're hundreds of years old." Dean adds. "Each one was once a man. Sometimes an Indian, or other times a frontiersman or a miner or hunter."

"How's a man turn into one of those things?" Haley's brow furrows.

Dean picks a couple things up off the ground. "Well, it's always the same. During some harsh winter a guy finds himself starving, cut off from supplies or help. Becomes a cannibal to survive, eating other members of his tribe or camp."

Ben cringes. "Like the Donner Party."

"Cultures all over the world believe that eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities." He rattles off a few. "Speed, strength, immortality."

"If you eat enough of it, over years, you become this less than human thing. You're always hungry." Dean tells them.

"So if that's true, how can Tommy and Bridgette still be alive?" Haley asks the boys.

"You're not gonna like it." Dean tells her. "Hell, I hate it."

Dean glances at Sam, then back to Haley.

"Tell me." She presses.

"More than anything, a wendigo knows how to last long winters without food." He explains, fear creeping into his stomach for Bree. "It hibernates for years at a time, but when it's awake it keeps its victims alive. It, uh, it stores them, so it can feed whenever it wants. If your brother and Bri are alive, it's keeping them somewhere dark, hidden, and safe. We gotta track it back there."

"And then how do we stop it?" Haley asks, eager to get her brother back.

"Well, guns are useless, so are knives. Basically—" Dean holds up the can of lighter fluid, the beer bottle, and the white cloth he'd picked up. "We gotta torch the sucker."

WENDIGOS LAIR

"Favorite band?" Tommy asks Bri weakly.

She had suggested playing twenty questions once Tommy had came out of his unconsciousness to try and keep him awake.

She smiles, "Warrant, hands down."

"Song?"

At this question she has to think hard. "Umm, a tie between 'Mr. Rainmaker' and 'I Saw Red'."

Tommy lets out a weak laugh. "Those two couldn't be more different ya know? One's about finding the perfect girl and the others about catching your girl cheating on you."

"Wow, a Warrant fan, huh?" Bri smiles.

"What can I say?" Tommy smirks. " I've heard a song or two."

All of a sudden they hear growling again. "Tommy! Pretend you're passed out!" Bri looks over to see that Tommy doesn't have to pretend... He's already passed out cold... Probably from the fear of the wendigo. She sighs worriedly and assumes 'passed out' position.

FOREST

Dean leads the way through the woods, Molotov cocktail in hand. Haley follows, then Ben, then Sam. They pass trees with claw marks and blood.

LATER

Sam is leading the group now. "Dean."

Dean catches up. "What is it?

Sam and Dean look around at the trees. There are bloody claw marks and broken branches everywhere.

"You know, I was thinking, those claw prints, so clear and distinct. They were almost too easy to follow." Sam points out.

Sensing it's plan was once again ruined the wendigo begins to growl. Sam and Dean whip around. The trees begin o rustle.

Haley is standing under a tree. Blood drips on her shirt. She notices and looks up, then leaps out of the way; Roy's corpse lands where she'd stood.

Deab examines Roy as Sam goes over to Haley. "You okay? You got it?"

"His neck's broke." Dean announces.

Sam helps Haley up. There's more menacing growling.

"Okay, run, run, run, run, go, go, go!" Dean yell

Everybody takes off.

Ben falls and Sam hurries back to help him up, dividing the group two and two.

"Come on, I gotcha, I gotcha." Sam says to him.

Up ahead, Dean and Haley stop short: the wendigo is in front of them. Haley screams.

"Haley?" Ben calls out.

Sam stops running and picks up Dean's Molotov cocktail, the bottle broken. "Dean!"

FOREST-DAYTIME

"If it keeps its victims alive, why would it kill Roy?" Ben asks Sam.

"Honestly? I think because Roy shot at it, pissed it off." Sam says point blank.

Ben finds a trail of peanut M&Ms and picks one up. "They went this way."

Sam catches up to Ben, who hands over the M&M. Sam laughs. "It's better than breadcrumbs."

He tosses the M&M away.

Sam and Ben follow the trail. They come to a mine entrance marked with a sign that says WARNING! DANGER! DO NOT ENTER EXTREMELY TOXIC MATERIAL. Sam looks at Ben, shrugs, and goes inside. Ben follows. Above the entrance is a larger sign that says KEEP OUT NO ADMITTANCE.

WENDIGOS LAIR

Sam shines the flashlight ahead of them. They hear the wendigo growling. Sam shuts off the light and pulls Ben against the wall. The wendigo comes towards them. Sam covers Ben's mouth before he can scream. The wendigo takes a different tunnel at the crossing. Sam and Ben keep going. The floorboards creak and Ben and Sam fall through the floor; they land in a pile of bones. There is another pile nearby of skulls. Ben spots them and leaps backward.

"Hey, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay." Sam assures him.

Sam and Ben look up; Dean and Haley are hanging by their wrists from the ceiling. Sam runs to Dean and, Ben to Haley.

"Dean!" Sam calls at the same time Ben calls, "Haley, wake up!"

Sam grabs Dean and shakes him. "Dean!"

Dean opens his eyes.

"Hey, you okay?"

Dean winces. "Yeah."

"Haley, Haley, wake up, wake up!" Ben begs his unconscious sister.

Sam cuts Dean down and Ben takes care of Haley. They help them over to an empty patch of floor and get them sat down. Dean makes pained noises.

"You sure you're all right?"

Dean grimaces. "Yeah. Yep. Where is he?"

"He's gone for now." Sam assures him.

Haley divests herself of rope. She stands up and spots Tommy and Bri still hanging and starts crying.

"Tommy..."

"Bri!" Dean and Sam exclaim.

At hearing her name, Bri's head pops up. "Finally, you guys. Took you long enough." She grimaces. "I think it took a taste test..."

Her jacket is half off of her and there's a bite taken out of her left shoulder. Sam cuts her down.

She frowns, "Wait, where's Tommy?" She turns to see him, looking dead. "Oh, God no..."

Haley touches Tommy's cheek. His head jerks up. Haley jumps back and shrieks. She turns to Sam.

"Cut him down!" She demands.

"Now!" Bri adds.

Sam quickly cuts Tommy down as Bri fixes her jacket trying to inflict as least pain as possible.

"We're gonna get you home." Haley murmurs Tommy.

The stolen supplies are piled in the corner. Dean picks up three flare guns.

"Check it out." He says.

"Flare guns. Those'll work." Sam says.

Sam grins. Dean laughs and twirls the guns. He hands one to Sam and one to Bri. "You good to shoot with that chunk outta your shoulder, Cherry Pie?"

Bri looks to a frail Tommy, down at her shoulder and then back to Dean. "This bitch is going down.

They head down a tunnel, Dean, Bri and Sam in the lead with the flare guns and Haley and Ben supporting Tommy, who is limping.

The wendigo starts to growl again.

"Looks like someone's home for supper." Dean quips.

"And we're the main course..." Bri adds.

"We'll never outrun it." Haley says.

Dean looks back at the others. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yeah, I think so." Sam tells him.

Bri smirks, "Do me proud, Pretty Boy."

Dean turns to the Collins siblings. "All right, listen to me. Stay with Sam and Bri. They're gonna get you out of here.

"What are you gonna do?" Haley asked worriedly.

Dean winks and starts walking and yelling. "Chow time, you freaky bastard! Yeah, that's right, bring it on, baby, I taste good."

Sam and Bri wait until Dean is a safe distance away.

"All right, come on! Hurry!" Sam tells them.

The Collins' follow Sam and Bri down the tunnel.

Xxxxxx

"Hey, you want some white meat, bitch! I'm right here!" Dean's still yelling to the wendigo.

Xxxx

Sam, Bri, Haley, Ben, and Tom hurry down a tunnel.

The wendigo begins to growl once again. Both Sam and Bri point their guns at it, Sam then lowers the gun and turns to the Collins'.

"Get him outta here." He says about Tommy.

"Sam, no." Haley protests.

Still aiming at the wendigo Bri says, "Hey! I was in there with him a full day, it wasn't good! Now I'm bleeding out, he needs help and I, for one, wanna kill this bitch! Now go!"

"Come on, Haley!" Ben urges his sister.

Haley and Ben help Tommy along the mine tunnel.

Sam and Bri hold the flare guns ready to shoot, looking down the tunnel.

"Come on. Come on." Sam mutters.

Sam growling turns and the monster is now right in their faces. Sam shoots and misses, then they both run after the Collins'.

"Sam! Bri!" Haley calls to them as they catch up.

"Come on, hurry, hurry, hurry." Sam urges them.

They run to the end of the tunnel, the wendigo right behind them.

"Get behind us." Sam tells them.

Sam and Bri are large enough together to hide all three Collins'.

The wendigo approaches, taking its time.

Dean comes up behind the wendigo.

"Hey!" He calls to it.

The wendigo turns. Dean shoots it in the stomach. The flare goes off and the wendigo goes up in flames.

"Not bad, huh?" Dean asks the other two hunters.

Sam grins and Bri replies with. "Not at all... But 'Chow time, you freaky bastard?'"

Dean smirks, "It worked though, didn't it?"

"Yep, Winchester, it sure did..." Bri laughs.

RANGER STATION – NIGHTTIME (AMBULANCE)

The ambulance loads up a shirtless and bandaged Tommy on the gurney and stitches up Bri's shoulder.

"Is it okay if I talk Tommy for a minute." She asks the female EMT that's tending to her wound.

"Sure sweetie, not too long though, he need to get to the hospital for further examination." She smiles.

Bri smiles and thanks her before climbing further into the ambulance to Tommy.

"Hey there!" She greets him with a smile.

"Bridgette," he gives her a lazy, pain killer induced, grin back, "there's my savior!"

"Funny," Bri smirks. "And to think you were such a non-believer."

"Well, it was such a monstrous grizzly I didn't think we stood a chance." He tells her, having been told about their cover story. "I still don't remember or understand half of it."

Bri brushes a stray strand of hair from his face. "That's probably best, considering it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows."

Tommy laughs, "I guess not."

They spend a couple of seconds just looking at each other before, in the heat of the moment, Bri leans down and plants a lingering kiss on Tommy's mouth.

"What was that?" Tommy asks, surprised but smiling.

"You're a cool guy Tommy, and there's a real shortage of them now a days." She smiles and leans down again, this time to press a quick kiss to his cheek. "Stay that way."

"I'll try.." He mumbles.

Bri looks at him for a few moments before giving him one last smile and leaving the ambulance, stopping at the other two Collins on her way to Sam and Dean. She hugs each sibling.

"Thanks, Bri." Haley says while hugging her.

"Thanks so much." Ben says.

She smiles and continues walking to the Winchesters as Haley and Ben climb in the ambulance with a smiling Tommy.

Sam sits on the Impala's hood with Dean, Bri walks over and stands next to them.

"Close her up." One EMT says.

A third EMT closes the ambulance doors.

"Man, I hate camping." Dean muses.

"Me too." Sam agrees.

"It was never that awful for me... But now I'm totally with you on this one." Bri adds.

The ambulance drives off.

Dean turns to Sam. "Sam, you know we're gonna find Dad, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Sam smirks. "But in the meantime? I'm driving"

Bri starts to laugh and Dean soon joins.

He tosses Sam the keys.

Sam and Dean get in the car, slamming the doors almost in sync.

Bri is still chuckling. "My boys..."

She too gets in the Impala.

Sam speeds off


	5. Dead In The Water

THIRD PERSON POV****

A truck goes past a neon sign that says HOTEL, behind a building that says The Lynnwood INN. The Impala is parked in front.

RESTAURANT – DAYTIME

There is a mostly empty plate in front of Dean, who is circling obituaries in a newspaper.

He circles an obituary that reads:

CARLTON, SOPHIE

An attractive waitress, whose nametag says Wendy, approaches.

"Can I get you anything else?" She asks Dean, while batting her eyelashes.

He looks up and grins around the pen he's chewing on.

Sam and Bri come over and sit down.

"Just the check," Bri smiles a fake, sickly sweet smile, "Wendy."

"Okay." Wendy looks upset about her failed attempt to flirt with Dean. She walks away.

Dean drops his head, then looks at Sam and Bri. "You know, guys, we are allowed to have fun once in a while."

Dean points to Wendy walking away; she's wearing short shorts. "That's fun."

Bri scoffs, "Yeah, Dean, she definitely looks like a good quickie. I bet half the other guys in this restaurant would agree. Look." She nods her head toward a booth where Wendy is taking another guys order and visibly flirting with him.

Sam looks at him Dean and then to Bri and shakes his head. Dean hands him the newspaper.

"Here, take a look at this," He says. "I think I got one. Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. Last week Sophie Carlton, eighteen, walks into the lake, doesn't walk out. Authorities dragged the water; nothing. Sophie Carlton is the third Lake Manitoc drowning this year. None of the other bodies were found either. They had a funeral two days ago."

Sam's brow furrows "A funeral?"

"Yeah, it's weird, they buried an empty coffin." Dean tells them.

"For closure. It makes them feel better." Bri tells them, but Sam only frowns more.

"Closure? What closure?" He asks. "People don't just disappear, Bri. Other people just stop looking for them."

"Is there something you wanna say to me Sam?" Bri asks. You know she's getting pissed when she calls Sam by his real name, and not a nickname or Sammy.

"The trail for our Dad. It's getting colder every day." He tells her.

"Exactly." Bri agrees "So what are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know. Something. Anything." Sam tells her.

"You know what?" Dean suddenly asks. "I'm sick of this attitude. You don't think we wanna find Dad as much as you do?"

"Yeah, I know you do, it's just—" Dean interrupts.

"I'm the one that's been with him every single day for the past two years, while you've been off to college going to pep rallies. We will find Dad, but until then, we're gonna kill everything bad between here and there. Okay?"

Sam rolls his eyes as Wendy walks by, distracting Dean.

"All right, Lake Manitoc. Hey!" Bri snaps her fingers in front of Dean's face.

Dean returns his attention to her and Sam. "Huh?"

"How far?" Sam asks him.

LAKE MANITOC- IMPALA- DAYTIME

The Impala passes a clothesline with white sheets.

Then the Impala crosses a bridge and passes someone fishing off same.

And finally the Impala drives past a sign that reads "Welcome to Lake Manitoc WI."

The Impala pulls up in front of the Carlton house.

The engine stops and Dean, Bri, and Sam climb out and walk up to the door.

Dean knocks on the door and Will Carlton opens it.

"Will Carlton?" Dean asks him.

"Yeah, that's right." Will says.

"I'm Agent Ford." He introduces himself and then Sam and Bri "This is Agent Hamill and Agent Fisher."

"We're with the US Wildlife Service." Dean holds up an ID.

LAKE – DAYTIME

Bill Carlton is sitting on a bench on the dock. Will brings Sam, Bri, and Dean around to see him.

"She was about a hundred yards out." Will says about his sister. "That's where she got dragged down."

"And you're sure she didn't just drown?" Dean asks, to clarify.

"Yeah. She was a varsity swimmer." Will tells them. "She practically grew up in that lake. She was as safe out there as in her own bathtub."

"So no splashing? No signs of distress?" Sam asks.

"No, that's what I'm telling you." Will begins to get defensive so Sam tries a different tactic.

"Did you see any shadows in the water? Maybe some dark shape breach the surface?"

"No. Again, she was really far out there." Will answers.

"You ever see any strange tracks by the shoreline?" Bri asks him.

Will's brow furrows in confusion. "No, never. Why? Why, what do you think's out there?"

"We'll let you know as soon as we do." Dean heads back to the car and Bri follows.

Sam looks toward Bill. "What about your father?" Dean and Bri stop and turn back. "Can we talk to him?"

Will turns to look at Bill, then turns back. "Look, if you don't mind, I mean...he didn't see anything and he's kind of been through a lot."

"We understand." Sam assures him.

Sam, Bri, and Dean go to the car.

POLICE STATION

INT. POLICE STATION – DAY

Sheriff Jake Devins talks to Sam, Bri, and Dean.

"Now, I'm sorry," He says, "but why does the Wildlife Service care about an accidental drowning?"

"You sure it's accidental?" Sam asks him. "Will Carlton saw something grab his sister."

"Like what?" Jake asks.

They walk into Jake's office. Jake motions to chairs in front of his desk.

"Here, sit, please." He tells the trio. There's only two chairs so Sam remains standing. "There are no indigenous carnivores in that lake. There's nothing even big enough to pull down a person, unless it was the Loch Ness Monster."

"Yeah." Dean laughs. "Right."

Sam glances at him.

"Will Carlton was traumatized," Jake tells them, "and sometimes the mind plays tricks. Still—"

He sits down. "We dragged that entire lake. We even ran a sonar sweep, just to be sure, and there was nothing down there."

"That's weird, though, I mean, that's, that's the third missing body this year." Dean points out.

"I know. These are people from my town. These are people I care about." Jake explains.

"I know." Dean sighs.

Bri gives Jake a sympathetic smile.

"Anyway..." Jake sighs. "All this...it won't be a problem much longer."

Dean's brow furrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the dam, of course." Jake says like it's obvious.

"Of course, the dam. It's, uh, it sprung a leak." Dean plays along unsurely.

"It's falling apart," Jake corrects him, "and the feds won't give us the grant to repair it, so they've opened the spillway. In another six months, there won't be much of a lake. There won't be much of a town, either. But as Federal Wildlife, you already knew that."

"Of course." Bri nods her head, playing along with it.

A young woman taps on the door.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" She peeks her head in the doorway and asks Jake.

Bri and Dean stand up, and Sam turns around.

"I can come back later." She says.

"Gentlemen, young lady, this is my daughter." Jake introduces the woman.

Dean immediately checks her out like its a reflex. He apparently likes what he sees because he walks over to her, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Dean." He shakes her hand.

"Andrea Barr," she introduces herself, "Hi."

"Hi." Dean repeats with a flirty smirk.

"They're from the Wildlife Service. About the lake." Jake tells his daughter.

"Oh." She says when a little boy walks in around her.

"Oh, hey there." Dean greets him. "What's your name?"

He walks away without speaking and Andrea follows.

"His name is Lucas." Jake tells the three young hunters.

Lucas and Andrea are in the main room. Andrea gives him some crayons out of a box.

"Is he okay?" Sam discreetly asks Jake.

"My grandson's been through a lot. Jake tells him. "We all have."

Jake stands and goes to the office door.

"Well, if there's anything else I can do for you, please let me know." He tells the trio.

Dean, Sam, Bri, and Jake leave the office.

"Thanks. You know, now that you mentioned it, could you point us in the direction of a reasonably priced motel?" Dean asks."

"Lakefront Motel." Andrea recommends. "Go around the corner. It's about two blocks south."

Seeing this as his chance, Dean asks, "Two—would you mind showing us?"

Andrea laughs as Sam and Bri both roll their eyes. "You want me to walk you two blocks?"

"Not if it's any trouble" Dean says.

"I'm headed that way anyway." Andrea tells him. She turns to Jake. "I'll be back to pick up Lucas at three."

She then turns to Lucas. "We'll go to the park, okay, sweetie?" She kisses him on the head.

Dean waves as they leave. Jake nods.

"Thanks again." Sam says to him.

"We really appreciate it." Bri adds.

STREET–DAYTIME

Andrea leads Dean, Bri, and Sam along the street.

"So, cute kid." Dean says as an excuse to talk to Andrea.

"Thanks."

They cross a street.

"Kids are the best, huh?" He continues.

Andrea glances at him and ignores him. They keep walking. They stop in front of a building that says Lakefront Motel.

"There it is. Like I said, two blocks." Andrea announces.

"Thanks." Sam and Bri say in unison.

Andrea then addresses Dean. "Must be hard, with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line."

As Bri bursts out laughing, Andrea leaves, calling back over her shoulder. "Enjoy your stay!"

Sam raises an eyebrow in confusion. "'Kids are the best'? You don't even like kids."

"I love kids." Dean argues.

"Name three children that you even know." Sam challenges him.

Bri smirks, "And if you can I'll do whatever you want."

Dean's eyes widen at Bri's words and tries desperately to think and comes up empty. Sam waves a hand and walks into the motel.

Dean scratches his head. "I'm thinking!" He calls after his brother.

Bri shakes her head, chuckling, and follows Sam to the motel.

MOTEL – DAYTIME

Sam is working on his laptop, and Dean is going through his clothing while Bri is lounging on one of the beds on her stomach.

"So there's the three drowning victims this year." Sam announces.

"Any before that?" Dean asks him.

"Uh, yeah." Sam has a browser window open to The Lake Manitoc Tribune. DROWNING TAINTS ICE FISHING FESTIVAL. He clicks, and another browser window comes up, again the Tribune: 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL DROWNS IN LAKE, Second drowning in 6 months at Lake Manitoc

"Six more spread out over the past thirty-five years. Those bodies were never recovered either. If there is something out there, it's picking up its pace." Sam warns his partners.

Dean tosses an item of clothing onto the bed that Bri's on and it lands on her head. She huffs and takes it off of her, putting it at the head of the bed, by her feet.

"So, what, we got a lake monster on a binge?" Dean asks, confused.

"Yeah, has old Nessie gone kill crazy, or something?" Bri quips.

"This whole lake monster theory, it, it just bugs me." Sam tells them.

Dean and Bri both go over to Sam to read over his shoulder.

"Why?" Dean questions him.

"Loch Ness, uh, Lake Champlain, there are literally hundreds of eyewitness accounts, but here, almost nothing." He tells them. He looks at the Tribune homepage. "Whatever it is out there, no one's living to talk about it."

Sam scrolls to the comments section of an article. Dean points at it.

"Wait," he tells Sam, "Barr, Christopher Barr. Where have I heard that name before?"

Sam reads from the page. "Christopher Barr, the victim in May."

"Barr is Andrea's last name." Bri recounts.

Sam clicks a link, opening a new page. LOCAL MAN IN TRAGIC ACCIDENT. The picture loads: it shows a police officer with Lucas.

"That's right. Christopher Barr was Andrea's husband, Lucas's father. Apparently he took Lucas out swimming. Lucas was on a floating wooden platform when Chris drowned. Two hours before the kid got rescued." He clicks the picture for a better look, then scratches his head. "Maybe we have an eyewitness after all."

"No wonder that kid was so freaked out." Dean remembers. "Watching one of your parents die isn't something you just get over."

PARK– DAYTIME

Kids are laughing and playing. Andrea sits on a bench and watches Lucas, who is at another bench coloring and playing with toy soldiers.

"Can we join you?" Andrea hears Sam's voice.

Andrea looks up to see him, Bri, and Dean approaching.

"I'm here with my son." She tells them.

Bri looks over at Lucas and smiles softly at Andrea. "Oh. Mind if I say hi?"

When Andrea nods in consent, Bri goes over to Lucas.

"She seems nice..." Andrea thinks aloud about Bri.

Sam and Dean both sit next to Andrea.

"She's that and a whole lot more." Dean tells her.

Xxxxx

Bri approaches Lucas.

"How's it going, Little Man?" She asks him. She kneels down next to the bench where Lucas is coloring; when Lucas doesn't even look up, she picks up one of the toy soldiers.

"Oh, I used to love these things. Never was into dolls." She imitates guns and explosions, then tosses the toy soldier down. "So crayons is more your thing? That's cool. Chicks dig artists. I should know, cause I am a chick. Well a girl. A wome– ya know never mind about that."

Lucas has a pile of drawings on the bench. Bri takes a look. The top one is of a big black swirl; the second one is of a red bicycle. "Hey, these are pretty good. You mind if I sit and draw with you for a while?"

She picks up a crayon. "I'm not so bad myself."

Bri sits on the bench, picks up a pad of paper, and starts drawing. "You know, I'm thinking you can hear me, you just don't want to talk. I don't know exactly what happened to your dad, but I know it was something real bad. I think I know how you feel. When I was a bit older than you, I saw something, too."

A pause.

"Anyway. Well, maybe you don't think anyone will listen to you, or, uh...or believe you. I want you to know that I will. You don't even have to say anything. You could draw me a picture about what you saw that day, with your dad, on the lake." When Lucas doesn't budge, Bri relents. "Okay, no problem. This is for you."

She holds out to Lucas the picture she drew. It's stick figures.

"This is my family." She tells him. She points at each person in turn. "That's my dad. That's my mom. That's my goofy twin brother, and that's me."

Another pause.

"All right, so I'm a bit rusty. I'll see you around, Lucas." She heads back to Sam, Dean and Andrea. Lucas picks up the picture.

She approaches Andrea and the boys.

"Lucas hasn't said a word, not even to me. Not since his dad's accident." Andrea tells the hunters.

"Yeah, we heard. Sorry." Dean says sympathetically and Andrea nods.

"What are the doctors saying?" Sam asks about Lucas.

"That it's a kind of post-traumatic stress." She tells them, distraughtly.

"That can't be easy. For either of you." Sam says as Bri lays a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"We moved in with my dad. He helps out a lot. It's just...when I think about what Lucas went through, what he saw..." Andrea trails off.

"Kids are strong. You'd be surprised what they can deal with." Dean tells her from experience.

"Really." Bri agrees.

Lucas leaves the bench where he was coloring, heading for the group.

"You know, he used to have such life. He was hard to keep up with, to tell you the truth." She smiles sadly. "Now he just sits there. Drawing those pictures, playing with those army men. I just wish—"

Lucas walks up, carrying a picture.

"Hey sweetie." Andrea greets him as he hands Bri the picture.

"Thanks, Little Man." She smiles warmly.

It's a picture of the Carlton house.

Lucas heads back to the bench.

CARLTON HOUSE– DAYTIME

Bill Carlton is sitting in a chair, doing nothing. His son Will approaches. "Hey, Dad? You, you should probably eat something. I'm gonna make some dinner, okay?"

Bill says nothing in return and turns his head away.

KITCHEN – DAYTIME

Will washes a fish at the sink. He doesn't turn the water off when he begins cutting up the fish. The water turns brown. He notices and with a confused look and shuts off the water. Black water comes up through the drain and fills the sink. Will rolls up his sleeve to pull the plug out of the drain. He comes up with the plug, but the water doesn't drain. He sticks his arm back in the water, and something grabs it, pulling him into the sink, drowning him. Once he's dead, the water drains.

MOTEL

INT. MOTEL – DAY

Dean is inside the motel room sitting on a bed and Bri is sitting on the opposite one sipping a mug of coffee. Sam opens the door and comes in. He gives Bri a 'seriously, coffee? It's the middle of the afternoon.' type look.

When she only shrugs he continues. "So, I think it's safe to say we can rule out Nessie."

"What do you mean?" Dean asks as Sam sits down next to Bri.

"I just drove past the Carlton house. There was an ambulance there." Bri sits up straighter as Sam says this. "Will Carlton is dead."

"He drowned?" Dean asks knowingly.

"Yep." Sam nods. "In the sink."

"What the hell?" Bri asks incredulously. "So you're right, this isn't a creature. We're dealing with something else."

"Yeah, but what?" Sam asks his two hunting partners.

"I don't know." Dean sighs. "Water wraith, maybe? Some kind of demon? I mean, something that controls water...water that comes from the same source."

"The lake." Sam and Bri conclude in unison.

"Yeah."

"Which would explain why it's upping the body count." Sam surmises.

"The lake is draining. It'll be dry in a few months." Bri adds, catching on.

Sam nods. "Whatever this thing is, whatever it wants, it's running out of time."

"And if it can get through the pipes, it can get to anyone, almost anywhere." Dean states as he stands up. "This is gonna happen again soon."

He sits down on a chair.

"And we do know one other thing for sure. We know this has got something to do with Bill Carlton." Sam says knowingly.

"Well, obviously. It took Sophie and Will. Both of them are his kids." Bri says with a scoff.

Sam ignores her and continues. "And I've been asking around. Lucas's dad, Chris—Bill Carlton's godson."

Dean stands. "Let's go pay Mr. Carlton a visit.

LAKE–DAYTIME

Bill is sitting on the bench on the dock.

"Mr. Carlton?" Sam calls out.

Bill looks up as he, Bri, and Dean approach.

"We'd like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind."

"We're from the, the Department—" Dean begins the standard 'FBI intro '.

"I don't care who you're with." Bill cuts him off bitterly. "I've answered enough questions today."

"Your son said he saw something in that lake. What about you?" Sam asks him. "You ever see anything out there? Mr. Carlton, Sophie's drowning and Will's death—we think there might be a connection to you or your family."

"My children are gone." Bill sobs. "It's...it's worse than dying. Go away. Please."

With a collective sigh the trio heads back to the Impala.

"What do you think?" Sam asks his brother and best friend.

"Aw, I think the poor guy's been through hell." Dean tells him. "I also think he's not telling us something."

Sam leans on the Impala.

"So now what?" He asks.

Bri goes rigid.

"What is it?" Sam asks her.

"Huh." Is all she responds with. She's looking at the Carlton house. "Maybe Bill's not the only one who knows something."

Bri pulls out the picture Lucas brought her, which is of the Carlton house. She looks at Sam and Dean.

ANDREAS HOUSE

"I'm sorry, but I don't think it's a good idea." Andrea says skeptically.

"I just need to talk to him." Bri assures her. "Just for a few minutes."

"He won't say anything. What good's it gonna do?" Andrea protests.

"Andrea, we think more people might get hurt." Sam reasons with her. "We think something's happening out there."

"My husband, the others, they just drowned. That's all." Andrea says beginning to sound a bit unsure of herself.

"If that's what you really believe, then we'll go." Dean tells her. "But if you think there's even a possibility that something else could be going on here, please let Bridgette talk to your son.

LUCAS' BEDROOM

Lucas is coloring, and toy soldiers standing around him. Dean, Bri, Andrea, and Sam approach the doorway. Bri enters and crouches down by Lucas.

"Hey, Little Man. You remember me?" She asks him gently.

Lucas has drawn two more pictures of a red bicycle.

"You know, I, uh, I wanted to thank you for that last drawing. But the thing is, I need your help again." She tells him.

Lucas is drawing a person in water. Bri opens the house picture and puts it down in front of Lucas.

"How did you know to draw this?" She asks him cautiously. "Did you know something bad was gonna happen? Maybe you could nod yes or no for me."

Lucas just keeps on coloring.

"You're scared. It's okay. I understand. See, when I was just a bit older than you, I saw something real bad happen to my brother," tears gather in Bri's eyes but she holds them in, "and I was scared, too. I didn't feel like talking, just like you. But see, my brother, Jackson—I know he wanted me to be brave. I think about that every day. And I do my best to be brave. And maybe, your dad wants you to be brave too."

Lucas drops his crayon and looks up at Bri. He hands her a picture of a white church, a yellow house, and a boy with a blue baseball cap and red bicycle in front of a wooden fence.

Bri smiles softly. "Thanks, Lucas."

Xxxxxx

Dean, Bri, and Sam– Sam and Dean in front, Bri in back– are in the Impala, Sam holding the church picture.

"Andrea said the kid never drew like that till his dad died." Dean tells the other two.

"There are cases—" Sam tells them, "going through a traumatic experience could make people more sensitive to premonitions, psychic tendencies."

"Whatever's out there," Dean wonders aloud, "what if Lucas is tapping into it somehow? I mean, it's only a matter of time before somebody else drowns, so if you got a better lead, please."

"All right," Sam relents, "we got another house to find."

"The only problem," Bri begins doubtfully, "is there's about a thousand yellow two-stories in this county alone."

Sam looks at the picture carefully. "See this church? I bet there's less than a thousand of those around here."

"Oh, College Boy thinks he's so smart." Bri teases her best friend with a smirk. Dean chuckles.

"You know, um..." Sam begins hesitantly. "What you said about your brother... You never told me that before."

"Yeah, why not?" Dean asks with a sad gaze towards Bri through the rear view mirror. "I know we never knew Jackson, but it might've helped to talk about it."

"It's no big deal." Bri waves it off and then decides to try to lighten up the mood. "Oh God, I love you guys and all, but we're not gonna have to hug or anything, are we?"

SWEENEY HOUSE

Bri, Sam, and Dean approach a white church, shaped like the one in Lucas's picture. Dean holds up the picture and looks at it, comparing it to the scene in front of him; there's a yellow house next to the church and a wooden fence near the house. Bri looks up at Dean then at Sam. They all look up at the church and cross the street to the house.

Xxxxx

"We're sorry to bother you, ma'am—" Dean says to Mrs. Sweeney. "—but does a little boy live here, by chance? He might wear a blue ball cap, has a red bicycle."

Mrs. Sweeney's face takes on a sad smile. "No sir. Not for a very long time. Peter's been gone for thirty-five years now."

There's a picture of Peter on the side table. Mrs. Sweeney looks at it and sighs. "The police never—I never had any idea what happened. He just disappeared."

Sam points out to Dean and Bri a number of toy soldiers on a table.

"Losing him—you know, it's...it's worse than dying." She tells the hunters.

Dean glances at Bri and his brother knowingly. It's what Bill Carlton had said to them.

"Did he disappear from here? I mean, from this house?" Dean asks.

"He was supposed to ride his bike straight home after school, and he never showed up." Mrs. Sweeney recounts.

Bri picks a picture off the mirror. There are two boys in the picture, one, who she assumes to be Peter, with a bicycle. She reads from the back of the picture.

"Peter Sweeney and Billy Carlton, nineteen seventy." She mumbles to herself.

LAKE

Bill is sitting on the bench on the dock, talking to the lake.

"You've taken everything, everyone. I've got nothing left. I didn't understand. I didn't believe. Now I think I do. I think I finally know what you want." He mumbles to the lake bitterly.

IMPALA

Dean is driving, Sam is in the passenger seat and Bri is leaning forward from the back.

"Okay, this little boy Peter Sweeney vanishes, and this is all connected to Bill Carlton somehow." Sam says.

"Yeah, Bill sure as hell seems to be hiding something, huh?" Dean surmises.

"And all the people Bill cares for, they're being knocked off one by one..." Bri thinks aloud.

Dean comes up with an idea. "So what if Bill did something to Peter?"

"What if Bill killed him?" Sam asks catching on.

"Peter's spirit would be furious." Bri agrees. "It'd want revenge. It's possible."

CARLTON HOUSE

The Impala pulls up in front of the Carlton house. Sam, Dean, and Bri approach it.

"Mr. Carlton?" Sam calls out.

Suddenly they hear an engine roar.

LAKE

Sam, Bri, and Dean jog around the house to see Bill going out on the lake in his boat.

"Hey, check it out." Dean says to his hunting partners.

They all run to the end of the dock, yelling for Mr. Carlton to stop.

Bill ignores them and keeps going. The water rises up and flips Bill's boat over. It and he vanish.

POLICE STATION

Lucas is sitting in a chair, rocking back and forth. Andrea is sitting next to him, holding a paper bag and a plastic container.

"Baby, what's wrong?" She asks Lucas gently.

Sam, Bri, Dean, and Jake walk in the door.

Andrea looks over. "Sam, Dean, Bridgette."

She stands up, putting the bag and container on her chair.

"I didn't expect to see you here."

Jake scoffs. "So now you're on a first-name basis. What are you doing here?"

"I brought you dinner." Andrea tells him.

Jake's look softens. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I don't really have the time."

"I heard about Bill Carlton. Is it true?" Andrea asks her father. "Is something going on with the lake?"

"Right now we don't know what the truth is. But I think it might be better if you and Lucas went on home." Jake tells her.

Lucas looks up and whines, looking suddenly frightens; he jumps up and grabs Bri's arm.

"Lucas, hey, what is it?" Bri asks in a motherly tone. "Lucas."

"Lucas." Andrea repeats worriedly.

"Lucas, it's okay." Bri assures him. "It's okay. Hey, Lucas, it's okay. It's okay."

Andrea pulls Lucas away from Bri and leads him outside, but as he goes Lucas doesn't look away from Bri.

Jake throws down his jacket and goes into his office. Bri, Sam, and Dean follow.

"Okay, just so I'm clear, you see...something attack Bill's boat, sending Bill—who is a very good swimmer, by the way—into the drink, and you never see him again?" Jake's eyes narrow skeptically.

Dean glances at Sam and Bri.

"Yeah, that about sums it up." He nods.

"And I'm supposed to believe this, even though I've already sonar-swept that entire lake?" Jake asks incredulously. "And what you're describing is impossible? And you're not really Wildlife Service?"

Dean looks surprised.

"That's right, I checked. Department's never heard of you three."

"See, now, we can explain that." Dean tries cautiously.

"Enough." Jake interrupts him. "Please. The only reason you're breathing free air is one of Bill's neighbors saw him steering out that boat just before you did. So, we have a couple of options here. I can arrest you for impersonating government officials and hold you as material witnesses to Bill Carlton's disappearance. Or, we can chalk this all up to a bad day, you get into your car, you put this town in your rearview mirror, and you don't ever darken my doorstep again."

"Door number two sounds good." Sam speaks up.

"That's the one I'd pick." Jake nods.

ANDREAS HOUSE

Lucas is in his room with the toy soldiers, drawing another black spiral. Andrea walks by his door in a robe.

"Baby, what are you doing up?" She asks him. "Come on. Let's go to bed." She picks Lucas up.

IMPALA

Bri, Dean, and Sam are in the Impala, waiting at a traffic light. A sign says I-43 North to Milwaukee is to the left. The light turns green, but Dean doesn't budge.

"Green." Sam nods at the light.

"What?" Dean's snapped out of his thoughts.

"Light's green." Sam tells him.

Dean turns right.

"Uh, the interstate's the other way." Sam tells him.

Bri, who had been arguing that they shouldn't be leaving, smiles widely. "Pretty Boy, you are officially the best– like ever!"

"I know." Dean smirks.

BATHROOM – NIGHTTIME

Andrea is in the bathroom. She plugs the drain of her tub and turns the water on.

IMPALA

"But guys, this job, I think it's over." Sam argues.

"I'm not so sure." Dean tells him. "And Bri's dead set against it being anywhere near over."

"Damn straight." Bri adds with a nod.

Sam sighs, "If Bill murdered Peter Sweeney and Peter's spirit got its revenge, case closed. The spirit should be at rest."

"All right, so what if we take off and this thing isn't done?" Bri protests, leaning forward. "You know, what if we've missed something? What if more people get hurt?"

"But why would you think that?" Sam asks her.

"Because Lucas was really scared." She recounts softly.

"That's what this is about?" Sam asks incredulously.

Bri sighs softly. "I just don't want to leave this town until I know the little guy's okay."

"Who are you? And what have you done with my best friend?"

Bri glares at Sam. "Shut up."

ANDREAS HOUSE

The bathtub is mostly full and Andrea tests the water with one hand. She takes off her robe and gets in the water. She leans back, grabs a washcloth, and closes her eyes. The water coming out of the faucet turns brown. Andrea starts washing herself with the cloth, unaware of the water, then opens her eyes. The water is entirely brown now. She screams and tries to get out of the tub, but something drags

There's pounding on the door coming from Lucas as Andrea's head is pulled under the water. She pulls it out. She is pulled under again and the struggle continues until she is invisible under the water.

Outside of the house Bri, Sam, and Dean have arrived.

"Are you sure about this? It's pretty late, guys." Sam whines.

Dean rings the doorbell. At that moment, Lucas opens the door, looking terrified.

"Lucas?" Bri asks. "Lucas!"

But Lucas takes off. Bri, Dean, and Sam follow him to the bathroom.

Water is pouring out from under the door and down the stairs. Lucas starts pounding on the bathroom door again. Bri gently pushes him over to Sam and then moves to the side also as Dean kicks in the door. Lucas grabs Bri, so Sam and Dean run into the bathroom. Sam sticks his arms in the tub, trying to pull Andrea out. She is pulled back under, but Sam keeps pulling until she's all the way out. She starts coughing up water.

Xxxxxx

Dawn is breaking and Sam, Bri, and Andrea are sitting in the living room. Andrea is dry now and wearing comfortable clothing.

"Can you tell me?" Sam asks her gently.

Andrea refuses. "No."

Dean is looking through notebooks on bookshelves.

"It doesn't make any sense." She cries. "I'm going crazy."

She puts her face in her hands and Bri lays a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"No, you're not. Tell me what happened. Everything." Sam tells her.

"I heard...I thought I heard...there was this voice." She looks doubtful.

"What did it say?" Bri pushes.

"It said...it said 'come play with me'." Andrea tells them and continues to sob. "What's happening?"

Dean pulls out a scrapbook that says "Jake – 12 years old" and opens it, flipping pages. He closes it again and goes to Sam, Bri, and Andrea; he puts the book down in front of Andrea, open to a picture of Explorer Troop 37.

"Do you recognize the kids in these pictures?" He asks her.

"What? Um, um, no." She shakes her head. "I mean, except that's my dad right there. He must have been about twelve in these pictures."

She moves her finger over to another picture of Jake as a child; he is standing next to Peter. Dean looks at Sam then at Bri.

"Chris Barr's drowning. The connection wasn't to Bill Carlton. It must have been to the sheriff." He says to them, ignoring Andrea's presence.

"Bill and the sheriff—they were both involved with Peter." Sam adds.

"And now that he's got Bill he's moved onto Jake." Bri says while nodding slightly.

"What about Chris? My dad—what are you talking about?" Andrea asks, confused.

Dean looks sideways. "Lucas?"

Lucas is staring out the window.

"Lucas, what is it?" Bri asks.

Lucas opens the door and walks outside. Everyone follows.

"Lucas, honey?" Andrea calls out to her son.

Lucas stops and looks at the ground, then at Bri.

"You and Lucas get back to the house and stay there, okay?" Bri tells Andrea who pulls Lucas back to the house.

Dean, Bri, and Sam fetch shovels from the Impala, before they start digging. Sam's shovel clanks against something. They dig with their hands and pull out a red bicycle.

"Peter's bike." Sam mumbles.

"Who are you?"

Sam, Bri, and Dean turn around; Jake is there, pointing a gun at them.

"Put the gun down, Jake." Sam says cautiously.

They all drop the shovels.

"How did you know that was there?" Jake nods at the dirty red bike.

"What happened?" Dean asks him gruffly. "You and Bill killed Peter, drowned him in the lake and then buried the bike? You can't bury the truth, Jake. Nothing stays buried."

Andrea sees Jake with the gun aimed at Sam, Bri, and Dean.

She talks to Lucas. "Go to your room, sweetie. Now. Lock the door and wait for me. Don't come out."

Lucas runs off and Andrea goes outside.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Jake denies Dean's accusation.

"You and Bill killed Peter Sweeney thirty-five years ago. That's what the hell he's talking about." Bri says, her voice raising.

Andrea runs up. "Dad!"

"And now you got one seriously pissed-off spirit." Bri continues.

It's gonna take Andrea, Lucas, everyone you love." Sam warns him. "It's gonna drown them. And it's gonna drag their bodies God knows where, so you can feel the same pain Peter's mom felt. And then, after that, it's gonna take you, and it's not gonna stop until it does."

"Yeah, and how do you know that?" Jake demands.

"Because that's exactly what it did to Bill Carlton."

"Listen to yourselves, the three of you. You're insane." Jake says to them.

"I don't really give a rat's ass what you think of us. But if we're gonna bring down this spirit, we need to find the remains, salt them, and burn them into dust. Now tell me you buried Peter somewhere. Tell me you didn't just let him go in the lake." Dean says to Jake with narrowed eyes.

What the five adults didn't know was that Lucas didn't go to his room; he's outside watching.

"Come play with me." Lucas hears Peter's voice and follows it.

"Dad, is any of this true?" Andrea asks shakily.

"No. Don't listen to them. They're liars and they're dangerous." Jake glares at the hunters.

"Something tried to drown me." Andrea tells her father. "Chris died on that lake. Dad, look at me."

Jake does.

"Tell me you—you didn't kill anyone." She demands of him.

Jake shamefully looks away.

"Oh my God." Andrea breaths out shakily.

"Billy and I were at the lake. Peter was the smallest one. We always bullied him, but this time, it got rough." Jake begins to recount the day, nervously. "We were holding his head under the water. We didn't mean to. But we held him under too long and he drowned. We let the body go, and it sank."

Dean glances at Sam and Bri.

"Oh, Andrea, we were kids. We were so scared. It was a mistake. But, Andrea, to say that I have anything to do with these drownings, with Chris, because of some ghost? It's not rational." Jake tells her.

"All right, listen to me, both of you." Bri demands, now in full hunter mode. "We need to get you away from this lake, as far as we can, right now. It's not safe, Peter could get any of us at any given moment."

Andrea turns her head and spots Lucas going down to the lake. She gasps, horrified.

"Lucas!" Jake yells.

They all run up to the dock. Lucas is leaning over the side, reaching for a toy soldier in the water.

"Come play with me."

"Lucas!" Bri shouts frantically.

"Lucas! Baby, stay where you are!" Andrea pleads with her son.

A hand suddenly comes up and pulls Lucas into the water. The adults have reached the edge of the lake. Jake stops. Peter's head is visible; Jake recognizes him. Dean, Bri, and Sam keep running to the end of the dock and dive in.

"Oh my God!" Andrea shouts.

She takes off her jacket to jump in.

"Andrea, stay there!" Sam yells to her.

"No! Lucas!" She argues.

"We'll get him! Just stay on the dock!" He dives under again.

Dean comes up. A second later, so does Sam, followed by Bri.

"Sam? Bri?" They both shake their heads.

"Lucas, where are you?" Andrea shouts to the lake. Suddenly, with a gasp Bri is pulled under the water and Lucas floats to the surface and begins to cough once he hits air.

"Bri!" Dean shouts as he dives back under.

Jake takes off his jacket as Sam pulls Lucas onto the dock and to Andrea. Jake wades in. Andrea looks up from her son and over.

"Peter, if you can hear me...please, Peter, I'm sorry. I'm so—I'm so sorry." Jake's saying with tears in his eyes.

"Daddy, no!" Andrea shouts desperately.

"Peter. That girl– she's, she's got nothing to do with it. Please, it's not her fault, it's mine. Please take me." Jake goes farther into the lake.

Dean comes up for air. And Sam jumps back in.

"Jake, no!" Dean shouts.

Peter surfaces.

"Just let it be over!" Jake screams at him.

And suddenly, he is dragged down.

"Daddy! Daddy! No!" Andrea sons, while clutching onto her son.

Dean and Sam dive down again.

"No!"

Simultaneously, Dean and Sam break through the surface.

"Sammy?" Tears gather in Sam's eyes.

"No." He whispers.

"No, DAMNIT!" He yells. "I can't lose you Bridgette!"

A tear slipping down his cheek, he sucks in one almighty breath and dives back down into the dark lake.

After a few minutes he comes up, holding Bri, who isn't moving.

STREET – DAYTIME

Bri, Dean, and Sam walk out of the motel. Dean opens the car door and Sam tosses a duffel in.

"Look, we're not gonna save everybody." Sam says in his logical Stanford way.

"I know." Bri sighs.

"Hey, we almost lost you too today, Bri. Just be glad that you're still here. That you can live to fight another fight. Save another person."

"Of course, Pretty Boy." Bri smiles before pressing a kiss to Dean's cheek, which turns pink.

"Sam, Dean, Bridgette." Andrea walks up with Lucas.

"Hey." Dean greets them.

"We're glad we caught you. We just, um, we made you lunch for the road." Andrea nods to Lucas who is carrying a tray of sandwiches. "Lucas insisted on making the sandwiches himself."

"Can I give it to them now?" He asks his mother shyly.

"Of course." Andrea smiles and kisses Lucas's head.

"Come on, Little Man, let's load this into the car." Bri smiles at Lucas.

"How you holding up?" Sam asks Andrea.

"It's just gonna take a long time to sort through everything, you know?" Andrea says with a sad look in her eyes.

Sam sighs, "Andrea, I'm sorry."

She shakes her head. "You saved my son. I can't ask for more than that. Dad loved me. He loved Lucas. No matter what he did, I just have to hold on to that."

Xxxxx

Bri puts the sandwiches in the car.

"All right, if you're gonna be talking now, this is a very important phrase, so I want you to repeat it one more time." She smiles at the boy.

"Warrant rules!" He says with a wide grin.

"That's right. Up high."

Bri holds his hand up for a high-five. Lucas obliges, grinning.

"Bridgette," Lucas looks hesitant. "I'm sorry about your brother.

Bri smiles and ruffles Lucas's hair. "Thanks Lucas. You take care of your mom, okay?"

"Alright." Lucas smiles.

Andrea comes up and hugs Bri. "Thank you."

Bri smiles at her and goes around the car.

"Sam, Dean, move your asses. We're gonna run out of daylight before we hit the road."

She gets in the car, then Dean, followed by Sam. Bad Company's "Movin' On" starts to play when Dean starts the engine.

Sam, Bri, and Dean smile at Andrea and Lucas waving goodbye.

They drive away.

A/N. There'll be more about Jackson Hart in upcoming chapters. His full name is Jackson Liam Hart.


	6. Phantom Traveler

Just a quick a/n... This is one of my favorite episodes ?

THIRD PERSON POV*****

July 7th, 1996

"She's my cherry pie! Cool drink of water such a sweet surprise!" Bri sloppily takes another sip of cheap whiskey before putting it down on the floor. She then leans down from her position on Bobby's couch straddling Dean and begins planting kisses on his jaw line.

"Bridgette-" Dean stops talking with a little gasp of surprise as Bri lands a small nip on his jaw, "-Sammy's right there. We need to stop."

"Sammy don't mind... Do you, Short Stop?" Bri runs her hand down Dean's chest.

"I mind!" Sam exclaims as he covers his eyes. "Oh dear god help me, I mind!"

"Keep the boy innocent, Miss. Bridgette!" Dean laughs as he gently grabs her by the waist and pushes her off him and onto the empty part of the couch.

"Babe, I'm anything but innocent." She tries to make a sexy face but comes off more comical. "I'm gonna make you so hot for me that you-"

Sam jumps up off the arm chair that he was currently residing in. "I'm going to my room! Try not to be loud."

As he makes his way to the stairs Bri smiles at him. "I'll be quiet as a mouse Sammy-boy! I can't promise the same for your big bro though."

She winks at Dean.

Dean laughs. "You may wanna hurry Sammy. I'm no longer responsible for the words you hear come out of her mouth."

Sam rushes up the stairs.

Bri turns to Dean. "Ooh, you wanna hear me talk dirty, Sexy?"

"You know I-"

As the door opens, Dean's eyes pop open, his dream, or rather memory now gone from his mind. He slips a hand under his pillow for a weapon.

As he turns to look, he sees Sam entering, carrying coffee and pastries.

"Morning, sunshine." Sam smirks. "Where's Bri at?"

Dean looks at the closed bathroom door, through which the shower can be heard running. "Shower. What time is it?"

"Uh, it's about five forty-five." Sam tells his older brother like its no biggie.

Dean looks at him like he's grown another head. "In the morning?"

"Yep." Sam nods.

"Where does the day go?" Dean sits up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Bye bye dreamland. I'll see you tomorrow night.

"Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Yeah, I grabbed a couple hours." Sam lies.

Apparently not good enough because his brother calls him out. "Liar. 'Cause I was up at three, and you were watching a George Foreman infomercial."

"Hey, what can I say? It's riveting TV." Sam jokes.

But Dean won't have any of it. "When was the last time you got a good night's sleep?"

"I don't know, a little while, I guess." Sam admits. "It's not a big deal."

"Yeah, it is."

"Look, I appreciate your concern—"

Dean interrupts him. "Oh, I'm not concerned about you. It's your job to keep my ass alive, and my job to keep Bri's ass alive, so we need you sharp."

Sam shrugs.

Dean's face becomes serious. "Seriously, are you still having nightmares about Jess?"

Sam crosses the room, sits on the other bed, and hands a coffee to Dean. "Yeah. But it's not just her. It's everything. I just forgot, you know? This job. Man, it gets to you. I mean, Bri almost died on our last case. She was so close to drowning."

"I get what you mean, but you can't let it. You can't bring it home like that." Dean tells his little brother.

"So, what? All this it...never keeps you up at night? Seeing Bridgette dead? Having to give her CPR? Her cold, lifeless body? That didn't phase you at all?" Sam says in disbelief.

Dean shakes his head.

Sam scoffs, "Never? You're never afraid?"

Dean shakes his head. "No, not really."

Sam reaches under Dean's pillow to pull out a large hunting knife and holds it up as evidence.

Dean grabs the knife back. "That's not fear. That is precaution."

"All right, whatever. I'm too tired to argue." Sam lets it go.

Dean's phone ring. He picks it up and answers it, "Hello?"

–Dean, it's, uh, it's Jerry Panowski. You and your dad helped me out a couple years back.–

Dean recognizes the name. "Oh, right, yeah. Up in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, the poltergeist thing. It's not back, is it?"

–No. No. Thank god, no. But it's something else, and...uh, I think it could be a lot worse.–

"What is it?" Dean asks Jerry.

–Can we talk in person?–

Dean eyes Sam and Sam eyes him back.

After Dean hangs up with Jerry he begins to fill Sam in. Not long after they hear the shower turn off, and the bathroom door opens.

Both boys look up to see Bri standing in the door way in nothing but a light blue towel, her hair still wet.

Sam immediately averts his eyes, blushing, but Dean has no such qualms.

His candy green eyes sweep her body up and down. With a smirk he says, "Now that, is definitely something I could get used to."

Bri smirks right back. "Cute... But trust me, I'll strip down in front of Sam before you ever see this again, sweetheart."

Dean lets out a low whistle as Sam blushes even harder. "Damn, Cherry Pie, that hurt me. Right here." He puts a hand over his heart in mock hurt.

Bri rolls her eyes before grabbing her clothes off of Sam's bed and returning to the bathroom to change.

After once again emerging in a tight white tank-top, ripped, blue, skinny jeans, a black leather jacket, and black converse, the boys fill Bri in on the situation.

Xxxxxx

"Thanks for making the trip so quick." Jerry thanks the three young hunters. "I ought to be doing you kids a favor, not the other way around. Dean and John really helped me out."

"Yeah, he told us." Sam tells Jerry. "It was a poltergeist?"

"Poltergeist? Man, I loved that movie." Some clueless worker asks as he passes by. His eyes rake over Bri. "What about you, baby girl? Did you?"

"Hey, nobody's talking to you. Keep walking." Jerry reprimands the guy and he walks away. Jerry turns back to Sam. "Damn right it was a poltergeist, practically tore our house apart. Tell you something, if it wasn't for Dean and your dad, I probably wouldn't be alive. Your dad said you were off at college. Is that right?"

"Yeah, I was. I'm—" Sam hesitates, "taking some time off."

"Well, he was real proud of you. I could tell. He talked about you all the time." Jerry reveals.

Sam's eyes widen. "He did?"

"Yeah, you bet he did." Jerry nods. "Oh, hey, you know I tried to get a hold of him, but I couldn't. How's he doing, anyway?"

"He's, um," Dean thinks about how to answer, "wrapped up in a job right now."

"Well, we're missing the old man, but we get Sam. Even trade, huh?" Jerry chuckles, followed by Dean. "And this young lady is...?"

Dean puts a hand on Bri's shoulder. "This, Jerry, is our best friend, and one of the best hunters I know, Bridgette Hart."

Jerry and Bri shake hands. "It's great to meet you, Jerry."

"Likewise, Bridgette. Thank you for helping my out."

Bri smiles, "No problem."

Jerry smiles back. "I got something I want you guys to hear."

OFFICE – DAYTIME

"I listened to this. And, well, it sounded like it was up your alley." Jerry puts a CD in a drive. "Normally I wouldn't have access to this. It's the cockpit voice recorder for United Britannia flight 2485. It was one of ours."

Mayday! Mayday! Repeat! This is United Britannia 2485—immediate instruction help! United Britannia 2485, I copy your message—May be experiencing some mechanical failure...

At the end there is a loud whooshing sound.

"Took off from here, crashed about two hundred miles south. Now, they're saying mechanical failure. Cabin depressurized somehow. Nobody knows why." Jerry sighs. "Over a hundred people on board. Only seven got out alive. Pilot was one. His name is Chuck Lambert. He's a good friend of mine. Chuck is, uh...well, he's pretty broken up about it. Like it was his fault."

"You don't think it was?" Sam asks him.

Jerry shakes his head with complete certainty. "No, I don't."

"Jerry, we're gonna need passenger manifests, um, a list of survivors." Sam instructs.

Jerry nods. "All right."

"And, uh, any way we can take a look at the wreckage?" Dean asks hopefully.

"The other stuff is no problem. But the wreckage...fellas, the NTSB has it locked down in an evidence warehouse. No way I've got that kind of clearance."

Dean frowns. "No problem."

STREET – DAYTIME

Sam is waiting by the car outside a Copy Jack. Bri is lounging on the hood of the Impala with sunglasses on her face. As Dean exits, an attractive woman enters.

"Hey." She says with a flirtatious look in her eyes.

"Hi..." Dean mumbles, distracted by the view of Bri on his Baby. 'Damn she looks sexy...'

"You've been in there forever." Sam's voice pulls him out of his thoughts. Bri sits up and slips the sunglasses to the top of her head.

Dean holds up three IDs. "You can't rush perfection."

Sam's eyes widen. "Homeland Security?"

He takes one of the IDs and Dean tosses the other to Bri. "That's pretty illegal, even for us."

"Yeah, well, it's something new. You know? People haven't seen it a thousand times." Dean tells him.

Bri slides off of Baby and they all get in.

"All right, so, what do you got?" Dean asks Bri and Sam.

"Well, there's definitely EVP on the cockpit voice recorder." Sam tells him.

"Yeah?" Dean asks.

"Mmhmm, creepy as hell EVP." Bri tells him.

"Listen." Sam plays the tape, which has been edited to pull out a scratchy voice.

"No survivors!" The voice hisses.

""No survivors"? What's that supposed to mean? There were seven survivors." Dean points out.

"Got me." Sam shrugs.

"So, what are you thinking? A haunted flight?" Dean asks, looking in the rear view mirror at Bri, who's getting her iPod out.

Bri meets his eyes. "It's a good possibility."

Sam nods, "There's a long history of spirits and death omens on planes and ships, like phantom travelers."

"Mm-hmm." Dean hums.

"Or remember flight 401?" Sam asks.

"Right." Dean nods in recognition. "The one that crashed, the airline salvaged some of its parts, put it in other planes, then the spirit of the pilot and copilot haunted those flights."

"Right." Sam nods.

"Yep." Dean says popping the 'p'.

"Maybe it's the same type of thing..." Bri suggests.

"All right, so, survivors," Dean nods, "which one do you want to talk to first?"

"Third on the list: Max Jaffey." Sam says with certainty.

"Why him?" Dean asks.

"Well, for one, he's from around here. And two, if anyone saw anything weird, he did."

"What makes you say that?" Dean asks.

"Well, I spoke to his mother." Sam replies. "And she told me where to find him."

HOSPITAL – DAYTIME

The Impala is parked in front of the gate to a building with a sign out front that reads 'Riverfront Psychiatric Hospital '.

Xxxxxxx

Max is walking with a cane between Sam and Dean with Bri to Sam's side.

"I don't understand." Max tells them. "I already spoke with Homeland Security."

"Right. Some new information has come up." Dean dismisses his concerns. "So if you could just answer a couple questions..."

"Just before the plane went down, did you notice anything..." Sam pauses, "unusual?"

"Like what?" Max furrows his brow in confusion.

"Strange lights, weird noises, maybe." Dean lists for Max. "Voices."

"No, nothing." Max says unconvincingly.

"Mr. Joffey—" Dean begins.

"Jaffey." Max corrects him.

"Mr. Jaffey." Bri sends dean a pointed look. "You checked yourself in here, right?"

Max nods.

"Can I ask why?" Dean asks.

"I was a little stressed." Max tells them, coldly. "I survived a plane crash."

"Uh huh. And that's what terrified you? That's what you were afraid of?" Dean asks skeptically.

"I...I don't want to talk about this anymore." Max stutters.

"See, I think maybe you did see something up there. We need to know what." Dean tells him firmly.

"No. No, I was...delusional. Seeing things." Max says with wide eyes.

"He was seeing things." Dean mutters to his partners mockingly. Bri nudges his side with her elbow.

"It's okay. Then just tell us what you thought you saw, please." Sam asks him.

Max nervously answers. "There was...this—man. And, uh, he had these...eyes—these, uh...black eyes. And I saw him—or I thought I saw him..."

"What?" Dean asks.

Max continues. "He opened the emergency exit. But that's...that's impossible, right? I mean, I looked it up. There's something like two tons of pressure on that door."

"Yeah." Dean sighs.

"This man, uh, did he seem to appear and disappear rapidly? It would look something like a mirage?" Sam asks

"What are you, nuts?" Max stares at Sam strangely.

Sam tilts his head.

"He was a passenger. He was sitting right in front of me." Max elaborates.

STREET – DAYTIME

The Impala pulls up in front of a house.

"So here we are. George Phelps, seat 20C." Sam announces.

"Hmm." Dean hums. "Man, I don't care how strong you are."

They all get out of the car.

Dean continues. "Even yoked up on PCP or something, no way you can open up an emergency door during a flight."

"Not if you're human. But maybe this guy George was something else. Some kind of creature, maybe, in human form."

"Does that look like a creature's lair to you?" Dean scoffs.

Sam turns to look at the perfectly ordinary house.

"Ahh, yes, modern living is quite terrifying nowadays." Bri quips.

PHELPS HOUSE – DAYTIME

Dean, Bri, and Sam sit across from Mrs. Phelps. Sam is looking at a framed photograph.

"This is your late husband?" He asks her.

Mrs. Phelps sighs. "Yes, that was my George."

"And you said he was a..." Dean pauses, "dentist?"

"Mm-hm." Mrs. Phelps hums in answer. "He was headed to a convention in Denver. Do you know that he was petrified to fly? For him to go like that..."

Sam takes in the information. "How long were you married?"

Mrs. Phelps smiles sadly. "Thirteen years."

Bri leans over and pats Mrs. Phelps's knee comfortingly.

Sam begins to question her. "In all that time, did you ever notice anything...strange about him, anything out of the ordinary?"

Mrs. Phelps, clearly not getting the meaning of strange, answers. "Well...uh, he had acid reflux, if that's what you mean."

Dean and Sam share looks with each other. Then they turn to Bri who shrugs.

The trio come down the stairs out front.

"I mean it goes without saying. It just doesn't make any sense." Sam says.

"A middle-aged dentist with an ulcer is not exactly evil personified." Dean scoffs. "You know what we need to do is get inside that NTSB warehouse, check out the wreckage."

"Okay. But if we're gonna go that route, we'd better look the part." Sam suggests.

"Yeah, I'd doubt they'd let Jon Bon Jovi and Sasquatch anywhere near the wreckage." Bri laughs, practically skipping with mirth toward the Impala.

"You little-" Dean picks up his pace, following her.

BUSINESS ATTIRE RENTAL SHOP – DAYTIME

Dean, Bri, and Sam exit the store, "Mort's for Style", the boys wearing wearing crisp black suits with white shirts.

Bri wearing:

Sam adjusts his collar.

"Man, I look like one of the Blues Brothers." Dean complains.

"No, you don't. You look more like a..." Sam pauses to think about his wording, "seventh-grader at his first dance."

Dean looks down at himself. "I hate this thing."

He looks to Bri who is walking slightly ahead of the brothers. "At least Bri is giving me a nice view..." His eyes slip to her swaying hips.

"Eyes up or I'll gouge them out with my left heel, Winchester." She says coolly, still walking.

Deans eyes immediately return to his brother.

Sam rolls his eyes. "Hey. You want into that warehouse or not?"

They all get into the car and Dean starts it.

STORAGE WAREHOUSE – DAYTIME

They enter the warehouse and show their badges to the security guard, who nods and lets them in. They walk among plane wreckage; Dean pulls out a device and puts earbuds in his ears.

Sam frowns, "What is that?"

"It's an EMF meter. Reads electromagnetic frequencies." Dean says like it's obvious.

"Yeah," Sam rolls his eyes, "I know what an EMF meter is, but why does that one look like a busted-up walkman?"

"'Cause that's what I made it out of." Dean smirks. "Specifically the one you dropped in Bobby's driveway. Remember? It was 1996...the day we...?"

"Met Bri!" Sam finishes, grinning.

Bri and Dean both grin. "It's homemade."

Sam smirks, "Yeah, I can see that."

Dean's grin disappears. He runs the EMF meter over a piece of the wreckage with a yellow substance on it and gets an audible spike.

"Check out the emergency door handle." He says and scratches at the yellow dust, getting some on his hand. "What is this stuff?"

"One way to find out." Sam says as he scrapes some of the yellow dust off into a bag.

Hearing somebody coming the trio quickly ducks out of view.

They peer around a corner and walk out casually. An alarm blares, and they break into a run to the gated exit. Pulling off his suit jacket, Dean throws it over the barbed wire at the top of the fence. Bri takes off her heels quickly and tosses them over the gate. Sam gives her a boost and she gets over it. Both of the brothers follow. Dean grabs his jacket.

He chuckles. "Well, these monkey suits do come in handy."

After Bri picks up her shoes, they all run off.

JERRY'S OFFICE

Jerry looks at the yellow substance through a microscope; what the microscope sees is replicated on a screen.

"Huh. This stuff is covered in sulfur." He tells them.

"You're sure?" Sam pushes.

"Take a look for yourself." Jerry says before they hear banging sounds from outside the office.

"You effin' piece of crap..." A man yells.

Jerry sighs, "If you guys will excuse me, I have an idiot to fire."

As Jerry leaves, Dean goes over and looks into the microscope.

"Hey. Einstein. Yeah, you. What the heck you doing? Put the wrench down—" they hear Jerry's voice.

"Hmm." Dean hums. "You know, there's not too many things that leave behind a sulfuric residue."

"Demonic possession?" Sam suggests.

Bri nods. "Walks like a demon, talks like a demon-"

"Must be a demon." Dean finishes. "It would explain how a mortal man would have the strength to open up an emergency hatch."

"If the guy was possessed, it's possible." Sam agrees.

"This goes way beyond floating over a bed or barfing pea soup." Dean states. "I mean it's one thing to possess a person, but to use them to take down an entire airplane?"

"Either of you ever heard of something like this before?" Sam asks Bri and Dean.

"Never." Dean tells him.

"Nope." Bri agrees.

MOTEL ROOM

The trio are in pure hunt mode, with images and articles taped to the walls and strewn across the beds, and Sam is looking at something on the computer. Dean is reading something on one bed while Bri sitting on the other with her laptop.

"So, every religion in every world culture has the concept of demons and demonic possession, right? I mean Christian, Native American, Hindu," Sam lists, "you name it."

"Yeah, but none of them describe anything like this." Dean says.

"Well, actually-" Bri begins before Sam begins to speak over her.

"Well, that's not exactly true. You see according to Japanese beliefs, certain demons are behind certain disasters, both natural and man-made. One causes earthquakes, another causes disease."

Bri huffs in aggravation.

"And this one causes plane crashes?" Dean asks his brother and then gets up. "All right, so, what? We have a demon that's evolved with the times and found a way to ratchet up the body count?"

"Yeah. You know, who knows how many planes it's brought down before this one?" Sam says, looking to Dean and then Bri.

Dean snorts, turning away.

"What?" Sam asks defensively.

"I don't know, man. This isn't our normal gig. I mean, demons, they don't want anything, just death and destruction for its own sake. This is big." Dean lets out a dejected sigh. "And I wish Dad was here."

"Yeah. Me too." Sam agrees wearily.

Dean's phone rings and he answers it. "Hello?"

-Dean, it's Jerry.-

"Oh, hey, Jerry." Dean greets him.

-My pilot friend...Chuck Lambert is dead.-

"Wha—Jerry, I'm sorry. What happened?"

-He and his buddy went up in a small twin about an hour ago. The plane went down.-

"Where'd this happen?" Dean asks , looking at Bri and Sam wearily.

–About sixty miles west of here, near Nazareth–

"I'll try to ignore the irony in that." Dean grumbles.

–I'm sorry?–

"Nothing." Dean assures him. "Jerry, hang in there, all right? We'll catch up with you soon."

He hangs up.

"Another crash?" Sam asks knowingly.

"Yeah. Let's go." Dean sighs getting up.

"Where to?" Bri asks slipping on some beat up black converse.

"Nazareth."

***Jerry's office***

Jerry is again looking through a microscope.

"Sulfur?" Dean asks with a knowing look.

Jerry nods.

"Well, that's great." Dean says sarcastically. "All right, that's two plane crashes involving Chuck Lambert. This demon sounds like it was after him."

"With all due respect to Chuck, if that's the case, that would be the good news." Sam tells his brother.

"What's the bad news?" Asks Dean wearily.

"Chuck's plane went down exactly forty minutes into flight." Sam explains. "And get this, so did flight 2485."

"Forty minutes? What does that mean?" Asks Jerry.

"It's biblical numerology." Bri tells him. "You know Noah's ark?"

Jerry nods.

"It rained for forty days. The number means death." She finishes.

"I went back, and there have been six plane crashes over the last decade that all went down exactly forty minutes in." Sam tells everyone.

"Any survivors?" Dean asks.

"No." Sam shakes his head. "Or not until now, at least, not until flight 2485, for some reason. On the cockpit voice recorder, remember what the EVP said?"

"No survivors." Dean and Bri say in unison.

"It's going after all the survivors." Dean concludes. "It's trying to finish the job."

Xxxxxxx

Dean is driving baby while Sam is on the phone. Rush's "Working Man" is playing and Bri is quietly singing along.

"Really? Well, thank you for taking our survey, And if you do plan to fly, please don't forget your friends at United Britannia Airlines. Thanks."

Sam hangs up the phone. "All right. That takes care of Blaine Sanderson and Dennis Holloway. They're not flying anytime soon."

"So our only wildcard is the flight attendant Amanda Walker." Dean says.

"Right. Her sister Karen said her flight leaves Indianapolis at eight pm." He sighs. "It's her first night back on the job."

"That sounds like just our luck." Dean grumbles.

"Dean, this is a five-hour drive, man, even with you behind the wheel." Sam tells his brother, who is already pushing the speed limit.

"Call Amanda's cellphone again, see if we can't head her off at the pass." Dean tells his brother.

"I already left her three voice messages. She must have turned her cellphone off." Sam responds. "God, we're never gonna make it."

"We'll make it." Dean says firmly.

"Have some faith in your brother, Sammy." Bri leans forward to pat Sam's shoulder.

AIRPORT – NIGHTTIME

Dean, Bri, and Sam rush into the airport and check the Departure board hoping that Amanda's flight hadn't left yet.

"Right there." Sam points out Amanda's flight. "They're boarding in thirty minutes."

"Okay. We still have some cards to play." Dean sighs. "We need to find a phone."

Looking around, Dean finds and picks up a courtesy phone.

-Airport Services-

"Hi. Gate thirteen." Dean tells the person quickly.

-Who are you calling, sir?-

"I'm trying to contact an Amanda Walker. She's a flight attendant on flight, um..." Dean quickly tries to think of the flight number off the top of his head. "flight 4-2-4."

"Come on." Dean mumbles, hoping Amanda will pick up.

-This is Amanda Walker.-

"Miss Walker." Dean sighs in relief. "Hi, this is Dr. James Hetfield from St. Francis Memorial Hospital. We have a Karen Walker here."

-Karen?-

"Nothing serious, just a minor car accident, but she was injured, so—" Amanda interrupts Dean.

-Wa—wait, that's impossible. I just got off the phone with her.-

Dean pauses. "You what?"

-Five minutes ago. She's at her house, cramming for a final. Who is this?-

"Uh, well...there must be some mistake." Dean mumbles trying to look to Sam and Bri for help, but they don't know what's being said on the other line.

-And how would you even know I was here?-

Sam goes around Dean, closer to the phone to try to hear what's going on.

-Is this one of Vince's friends?-

"Guilty as charged." Dean sighs, finding a way out and taking it.

-Wow. This is unbelievable.-

"He's really sorry." Dean plays along.

-Well, you tell him to mind his own business and stay out of my life, okay?-

"Yes, but...he really needs to see you tonight, so—"

-No, I'm sorry. It's too late.-

"Don't be like that. Come on. The guy's a mess. Really. It's pathetic." Dean lies.

-Really?-

"Oh, yeah." Dean pretends to be concerned about 'Vince''s well being.

-Look, I've got to go. Um...tell him to call me when I land.-

Amanda hangs up.

"No, no. Wait, Amanda. Amanda!" Dean calls her name, but she's already gone. "Damn it! So close."

"All right, it's time for plan B." Sam tells them. "We're getting on that plane."

Bri nods in agreement, but Dean starts to panic. "Whoa, whoa, now just hold on a second."

He is wide-eyed and has a fearful look on his face.

"Dean," Sam say his brother's name firmly, "that plane is leaving with over a hundred passengers on board, and if we're right, that plane is gonna crash."

"I know." Dean sighs.

"That's why we're getting on the plane, we need to find that demon and exorcise it. We'll get the tickets. You get whatever you can out of the trunk. Whatever will make it through the security. Meet us back here in five minutes." Bri continues reasoning to Dean.

He just looks at them anxiously.

"Are you okay?" Sam asks him, similar looks of concern etched onto both his and Bri's faces.

"No, not really." Dean admits grudgingly.

"What?" Bri asks him. "What's wrong?"

"Well, I kind of have this problem with, uh..." Dean trails off.

"Flying?" Sam finishes incredulously.

"It's never really been an issue until now." Dean grumbles, looking at the ground in embarrassment.

"You're joking, right?" Asks Sam with wide eyes.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Dean snaps at him. "Why do you think I drive everywhere, Sam?"

"All right." Sam sighs. "Uh, we'll go."

He motions with his finger toward himself and Bri.

"What?" Exclaims Dean.

"Bri and I can do this one on our own." Sam tells his brother.

"What are you, nuts?" He looks at them both with wide disbelieving eyes. "You said it yourself, the plane's gonna crash."

"Dean, we can do it together, or Sam and I can do this one by ourselves. I'm not seeing a third option, here." Bri tells Dean sternly.

"Come on! Really?" Finally with a relenting look Dean mumbles, "Man..."

HAUNTED FLIGHT

Dean is in the aisle seat, is anxiously reading the safety card.

"Just try to relax." Sam tells him calmly from his seat near the window. Bri is in the middle.

"Just try to shut up." Dean snaps at him.

The plane takes off, with Dean jumping at every rumble and sound. Sam smirks at him, while Bri comfortingly pats his shoulder.

Xxxxxx

Dean is leaning back in his seat, humming to himself. Bri has her head on his shoulder and is very softly singing to him.

Sam looks over.

"You're singing... What is that?" He asks. "Metallica?"

Bri stops singing, "yeah."

"Calms me down." Dean adds.

"Look, man, I get you're nervous, all right? But you guys have got to stay focused." Sam tells them seriously.

"Okay." They both say in unison.

"I mean, we got thirty-two minutes and counting to track this thing down, or whoever it's possessing, anyway, and perform a full-on exorcism." Sam continues

"Yes, Sargent. Sasquatch!" Bri mockingly salutes him.

Dean scoffs, "On a crowded plane? That's gonna be easy."

"Just take it one step at a time, all right? Now, who is it possessing?" Sam looks to his brother.

"It's usually gonna be somebody with some sort of weakness, you know, a chink in the armor that the demon can worm through. Somebody with an addiction or some sort of emotional distress." Dean informs his brother and best friend.

"Well, this is Amanda's first flight after the crash. If I were her, I'd be pretty messed up." Sam thinks aloud.

"Mm-hm." Dean hums in agreement.

Dean turns to a flight attendant. "Excuse me. Are you Amanda?"

"No, I'm not."

"Oh, my mistake." Dean apologizes and the flight attendant walks away. He looks to the back of the plane to a blonde flight attendant. "All right, well, that's got to be Amanda back there, so I'll go talk to her, and, uh, I'll get a read on her mental state."

"What if she's already possessed?" Sam asks.

"There's ways to test that." Dean says cryptically as he goes into his bag and comes out with a Virgin Mary–shaped bottle of water. "I brought holy water."

"No." Sam says as he reaches across Bri and snatches the bottle and tucks it inside his hoodie. "I think we can go more subtle. If she's possessed, she'll flinch at the name of God."

"Oh. Nice." Dean turns to go.

"Hey!" Bri stops him.

He Turns back around. "What?"

"Say it in Latin." She reminds him.

"I know." He says and begins leaves again.

"Okay." Sam mumbles. "Hey!"

"What?!" Dean snaps.

"Uh," Sam fumbles, "in Latin, it's 'Christo'."

"Dude, I know! I'm not an idiot!" Dean snaps at Sam again.

He makes his way to the back of the plane, bumping into a seat once when the plane shakes.

"Hi." He says, walking up to Amanda.

"Hi." Amanda greets him in return. "Can I help you with something?"

"Oh, no." Dean shakes his head. "I'm just a bit of an uneasy flier. It makes me feel better to walk around a little bit."

"Oh," Amanda chuckles, "it happens to the best of us."

"Of course, you being a stewardess, I guess flying comes easy to you."

Amanda laughs, "You'd be surprised."

"Really? You're a nervous flier?" Dean investigates.

"Yeah, maybe, little bit." Amanda admits.

"How is it that," Dean pushes, "being a stewardess, you're scared to fly?"

"Kind of a long story." Amanda says a bit uncomfortably.

"Right. I'm sorry for asking."

"It's okay."

"You ever consider other employment?" Dean asks.

"No." Amanda says a bit snappishly. "Look, everybody's scared of something. I just, uh...I'm not gonna let it hold me back."

"Huh." Dean huffs.

"Christo." Dean mumbles quietly.

"I'm sorry. Did you say something?" Amanda asks him.

Dean hesitates before saying louder, "Christo?"

"I—I didn't, I didn't..." Amanda stutters.

"Yeah, nothing. Never mind." Dean dismisses what he said earlier.

He returns to his seat.

"All right, well, she's got to be the most well-adjusted person on the planet." He grumbles.

"You said "Christo"?" Sam asks him.

"Yeah." Dean sighs.

"You're sure?" Bri asks.

"Yes! There's no demon in her. There's no demon getting in her." Dean tells them.

"So, if it's on the plane, it can be anyone. Anywhere.

The plane shakes.

"Come on! That can't be normal!" Dean exclaims, his voice higher than usual.

"Hey, hey, it's just a little turbulence." Sam soothes him.

"Sam, this plane is going to crash, okay? So quit treating me like I'm friggin' four." Dean leans over Bri and whispers harshly to his brother.

"You need to calm down." Sam tells him while looking to Bri for help

"Well, I'm sorry I can't." Dean says in a harsh yet scared voice.

Bri lays a hand on Dean's knee. She's never seen him this frightened. "Hey, babe," Bri whispers softly to Dean, who immediately stops grumbling at the pet name, "you need to calm down like Sammy said. If you keep freaking out the demon might come after you."

"G-guys," Dean regains himself, "stow the touchy-feely, self-help yoga crap, it's not helping."

Sam and Bri audibly sighs at Bri's seemingly failed attempt to calm Dean down. "Listen, if you're panicked, you're wide open to demonic possession like Bri said, so you need to calm yourself down. Right now."

Dean takes a long, steady breath taking Sam's advice and trying to calm his heart rate.

"Good." Sam sighs and looks down at John's old journal. "Now, I found an exorcism in here that I think is gonna work. The Rituale Romanum."

"What do we have to do?" Dean asks him.

"It's two parts. The first part expels the demon from the victim's body. It makes it manifest, which actually makes it more powerful."

"More powerful?" Dean asks doubtfully.

"Yeah." Sam nods.

"Ain't that just peachy?..." Mutters Bri sarcastically under her breath.

"How?" Dean leans over Bri, trying to get a peek at the leather bound old journal.

"Well, it doesn't need to possess someone anymore." Sam tells him. "It can just wreak havoc on its own."

"Oh. And why is that a good thing?" Questions Dean.

"Well," Sam looks up from the boom and at his brother and Bri, "because the second part sends the bastard back to hell once and for all."

"First things first-" Dean begins.

"We got to find it." Bri finishes for him with a sigh.

Dean walks slowly up the aisle with his homemade EMF meter, getting odd looks from some of the passengers but no readings. He jumps suddenly when a hand lands on his shoulder.

"Ah! Don't do that." He tells Bri when he turns around to see her sheepish face and Sam walking up behind her.

"Sorry!" She smiles.

"Anything?" Sam asks him.

"No, nothing. How much time we got?" Questions Dean.

"Uh, Fifteen minutes. Maybe we missed somebody." Suggests Bri after looking at her watch.

"Maybe the thing's just not on the plane." Dean bites back.

"You believe that?" Asks Sam, cutting off Bri before she can make a snide remark back.

"Well, I will if you will." He looks down as the EMF meter spikes. At the same time the copilot exits the bathroom and heads towards the cockpit.

"What? What is it?" Sam whispers urgently.

But Dean only mutters, "Christo." Loud enough for the three and the copilot to hear.

The copilot turns slowly to face them. His eyes are black. He then goes into the cockpit. Dean looks at Sam and Bri.

xxxxxx

Sam, Bri, and Dean head to the back of the plane towards Amanda.

"She's not gonna believe this." Mutters Sam.

"Twelve minutes, dude." Dean reminds him.

"It's gotta work." Adds Bri.

"Oh, hi. Flight's not too bumpy for you, I hope." Amanda says, noticing the trio.

"Actually, that's kind of what we need to talk to you about." Dean says as Sam closes the curtain.

"Um, okay." Amanda says a bit uncomfortably. "What can I do for you?"

"All right, this is gonna sound nuts, but we just don't have time for the whole "the truth is out there" speech right now." Dean begins bluntly.

Sam sighs at his brother's lack of tact. "All right, look, we know you were on flight 2485."

Amanda's previously warm smile disappears. "Who are you three?"

"Now, we've spoken to some of the other survivors." Sam disregards her previous question. "We know something brought down that plane and it wasn't a mechanical failure."

Dean continues, "We need your help because we need to stop it from happening again. Here. Now."

"I'm sorry, I—I'm very busy." Amanda stutters. "I have to go back—"

She tries to brush past Dean, who stops her with no problem. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a second. I'm not gonna hurt you, okay? But listen to me, uh...The pilot in 2485, Chuck Lambert. He's dead."

"Wait." Amanda stops trying to get away. "What? What, Chuck is dead?"

"He died in a plane crash." Dean tells her. "Now, that's two plane crashes in two months. That doesn't strike you as strange?"

"I—" Sam cuts her off.

"Look, there was something wrong with 2485. Now maybe you sensed it, maybe you didn't. But there's something wrong with this flight, too."

"Amanda, you have to believe us." Bri practically begs, looking at her watch nervously.

"On...on 2485, there was this man. He...had these eyes." Amanda remembers.

"Yes. That's exactly what we're talking about." Sam assures her.

"I don't understand, what are you asking me to do?" Amanda asks the hunters.

"Okay. The copilot, we need you to bring him back here." Dean instructs her.

"Why?" Amanda questions him. "What does he have to do with anything?"

"Don't have time to explain." Dean says quickly. "We just need to talk to him. Okay?"

"How am I supposed to go in the cockpit and get the copilot—" Sam cuts Amanda off again.

"Do whatever it takes. Tell him there's something broken back here, whatever will get him out of that cockpit."

"Do you know that I could lose my job if you—" this one Bri cuts Amanda off. She's ticked off.

"Okay, well you're damn well gonna lose a lot more than a job if you don't help us out."

Amanda hesitates, "Okay.

She leaves and goes to the cockpit. She knocks on the door and says something inaudible to the copilot, who follows her back. Sam discretely pulls out the holy water as Dean pulls out John's journal and hands it to him. He opens it.

"Yeah, what's the problem? The possessed copilot says unknowingly to Amanda as he walks in.

Dean punches him in the face, effectively knocking him down. He pins him on the ground and puts duct tape over his mouth.

"Wait. What are you doing?" Amanda begins to panic. "You said you were just gonna talk to him."

"We are gonna talk to him." Dean splashes holy water on his skin, which sizzles as he howls in pain.

"Oh, my god." Amanda shrieks. "What's wrong with him?"

"Look. We need you calm. We need you outside the curtain." Sam tells her in a calm voice.

"Well, I don't underst—I don't know—" Amanda stumbles over her words, still staring at the copilot with a mortified look.

"Do not and I repeat not let anyone in, Amanda. Okay?" Bri asks firmly, while helping Dean keep the struggling copilot down.

"Okay. Okay." Amanda rushes outside of the curtain pulling it closed briskly.

With a huff dean looks at Sam. "Hurry up, Sam. I don't know how much longer we can hold him."

"Regna terrae, cantate Deo, psallite Domino—" Sam begins the exorcism.

The demon breaks free, slamming Bri against the wall knocking her breath away and making her hit her head. He hits both Sam and Dean until Dean manages to subdue him again. Sam picks up where he left off and Bri is still regaining his demon suddenly knocks Dean off of him again and pulls the tape off his mouth. He grabs Sam by the collar, interrupting his chant.

"I know what happened to your girlfriend!" The demon tells him snidely. "She must have died screaming! Even now, she's burning!"

Dean recovers and hits the demon as Sam sits there, stunned. His thoughts are once again consumed with visions of Jessica on the ceiling, a wide spot of blood on her nightgown, engulfed in flames.

"Sam!" Dean's voice brings Sam out of his terrifying memories.

He begins reading again. He puts the book down and helps Dean pin down the demon, who kicks the book up the aisle.

"I got him." Sam tells his brother.

The demon exits the copilot's body and disappears into a vent.

"Where'd it go?" Sam looks at his brother.

"It's in the plane. Hurry up. We got to finish it." Dean tells him. "Bri you good?"

"No. I can't see." She panics. "It feels like I got stabbed in the head and everything's blurry."

"Great," Dean runs his hand through his hair, "you probably have a concussion."

The plane suddenly dips and heaves violently. Sam struggles to retrieve the journal as Bri screams and Dean dives to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"I've gotcha." he mutters in a terrified voice, his arms clutching around her waist for dear life.

Sam manages to grab the journal and reads the rest of the exorcism quickly. A bright electrical charge runs through the entire plane, which then levels out.

Various people ask if everyone's okay. Amanda sighs in relief. Dean presses a kiss into Bri's temple and then stands up with her clutching him for support. They comes out from behind the curtain. Sam stands up.

"Are you alright Bri?" He asks, concerned

She only groans in resonate nestling her head into Dean's shoulder.

He runs a hand over her hair to smooth it down. "Cherry Pie's got herself a concussion by the looks of it."

xxxxxx

"Let's get out of here." Dean says, an arm slung around Bri, with a bandage on her fire head. She recently got diagnosed with a mild concussion at one of the ambulances that went to the airport.

The trio head for the exit.

"You okay?" Dean turns to Sam.

He stops and turns. "Dean, it knew about Jessica."

"Sammy," Bri sighs, "these are demons we're talking about here. They are exactly truthful."

"Yeah." Sam sighs defeatedly.

"Come on." Dean says to him, nodding toward the car.

"Nobody knows what you guys did, but I do. A lot of people could have been killed." Jerry shakes the trio's hands. "Your dad's gonna be real proud."

"We'll see you around, Jerry." Sam says to him and Bri waves.

They begin to head off.

"You know, Jerry." Dean stops.

"Yeah?"

"I meant to ask you, how did you get my cellphone number, anyway? I've only had it for like six months." Dean's brow furrows in confusion.

"Your dad gave it to me." Jerry tells them.

"What?" Sam asks with wide eyes.

"When did you talk to him?"

"I mean, I didn't exactly talk to him, but I called his number. His voice message said to give you a call. Thanks again, guys." Jerry leaves.

xxxxxxx

"This doesn't make any sense, man. I've called Dad's number like fifty times. It's been out of service." Sam shakes his head in disbelief.

Dean quickly dials a number. As the voice message begins, he puts it on speaker so Sam and Bri can hear too.

-This is John Winchester. I can't be reached. If this is an emergency, call my son, Dean. 785-555-0179. He can help.-

Fuming, Sam turns and gets in the car. Bri pats Dean's shoulder and they both follow.


End file.
